


Dragons and Dating

by aievans



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Absent John, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Asexual Castiel, Awkward Castiel, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Castiel's First Kiss, Castiel's Parents Being Assholes, Crowley Being Crowley, Dean Winchester and Feelings, Dean dealing with feelings - eventually, Dean's First Real Relationship, Destiel - Freeform, Destiel Together at the End, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Dungeons & Dragons type game, F/M, Freshman Kevin, Freshman Sam, Happy Ending, Jo is like a sister, Jo taking no shit, Junior Gabriel, Junior Jo, Kevin is adorable, Lesbian Charlie (duh), M/M, Nerd Castiel, Nerd Kevin, Nerd Sam Winchester, Nice John Winchester, Openly Bisexual Dean, POV Dean Winchester, Pansexual Gabriel, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Gabriel, Protective John Winchester, Sabriel - Freeform, Sabriel Together at the End, Sam and Kevin Friendship Bonding Stuff, Sam's First Relationship, Semi-Nerd Dean, Senior Castiel, Senior Crowley, Senior Dean, Single POV, Slow Build Castiel/Dean Winchester, Slow Build Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Sophomore Charlie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-07-25 13:02:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7533757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aievans/pseuds/aievans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean felt his heart drop a little when Fergus stepped in behind Castiel, standing perhaps too close to Castiel than Dean would like.  Dean bit back any words that might have tried to escape and did his best to keep his face flat.  He couldn’t let anyone, especially Fergus, know that he his invite hadn’t extended to him.  If he let that show, Fergus might get suspicious.  Dean stopped that train of thought.  He didn’t know why he should be so wary of Fergus.  For all he knew, Fergus had been asking about homework or even about Fantasy Realm.  It could be a coincidence that Castiel looked tired and worn that day.<br/>~<br/>Sam dragged his brother into his nerdy gaming club, and though Dean is excited he won't show it.  As the club meetings continue, their characters encounter perilous adventures and dangerous tasks.  Meanwhile, in the real world the members of the club grow closer and face the dramas of high school together, as well as the ups and downs of crushes and falling in love.<br/>~<br/>Note: Slow Updates.  I am trying to get you guys very good, long chapters, so I won't update as frequently as my last fic.<br/>Note: Rated for themes and language; no smut planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!  
> So the game that the character’s play in this story is based off of Dungeons and Dragons, however it’s not as complex (if that’s the right word). The rules and game play are a little more relaxed. It’s how my friends and I play D&D, so it’s what I am familiar with even though it’s not the full on, intense version.  
> There are two reason that I changed the name of the game. One is because it is a relaxed version, and I didn’t want people coming up and saying “that’s not how you play”. The other is that if I ever decide to change character names and publish this as an actual book, I won’t have to worry about copyright issues with the game, if there are any. If you’ve never played D&D before, do not fret! Neither has Dean, so everything is explained and it’s pretty easy to get into. More than that, if you enjoy the concept of the game that the characters are playing, you should definitely get your feet wet. The site that I truly use most for information on the game is: https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki  
> My friends and I tend to use the information from 5e (the fifth edition). I believe my friends started that because there is a lot of leeway when it comes to races and classes. Anyway, that’s not what I’m here to talk about.  
> This fic is taking place in modern day, aka 2015/2016 time. There are smart phones and they will talk about the new Star Wars.  
> The final note, which is important is the way the game play will look. As there is a lot of the dungeon master talking in the game, or the Gameplay Commander as I will call them in this text, I won’t be doing quotes. Gabriel’s speaking during gameplay will be in italics and look as such:  
> Actually, I've changed this now. Only the narration will be shown, and it will be in bold and italics. I tried doing the rolls and things that would be said outside of the narration separate, but it didn't flow the way I liked. So, any speaking by characters has been really said by the creator of that character, and any fight scenes, skills, building, perception, insight, etc has been rolled for. 
> 
> I believe that is it for my notes. The romances will be a slow build, and as of now I plan for Destiel to get together before Sabriel. There will be very few characters outside of the players, and if they come in they will be more of tertiary characters. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Any more notes that I think of will appear in the chapters. I hope you enjoy my story. Please tell me what you think and as of right now, I have no beta reader so please please please tell me if there are any spelling/grammar/structure error.  
> I’d like to dedicate this story to three people. One is Squid. You’re my best friend, and just hours before this story popped in my head, you were listening to me fret over how off and out of it I was feeling. You’ve always been there for me, and you’ve always had my back. Next is Jenna, my sweet fangirl friend. You’re always willing to listen to my rants about Supernatural, and our talks only make me understand the characters more and help me keep them in character when I am writing. Finally, Logan. You are the first Dungeon Master I ever played under, and it was your enthusiasm when you started the campaign that drew me into the world. Without you, I wouldn’t be writing this and I would know the amazing world that is Dungeons and Dragons. You are always fun to be playing under, and you make sure that everything is worked out. I hope that Gabriel is even close to an amazing Master as you are.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once in his life, he was starting to feel truly happy as well.  He could keep driving forever, if it meant that he got to drive his dream car (even if it needed a lot of work) with his brother in the passenger seat.  He didn’t think anything could get better than that.  Even if his brother was dragging him to a nerdy club that day.  
> ...  
> The head of the group, and Gameplay Commander, was Gabriel Milton, a junior at Sioux Hills High and a member of the club since his freshman year, when it was founded.  The Asian boy was Kevin, as Sam had said, and a freshman who had seen the booth at orientation.  Sam smiled, and Dean was glad to know that there would be someone in Sam’s grade that Sam could become friends with.  The ginger was Charlie, a sophomore and proclaimed computer expert.  The last two students were seniors.  The boy with the messy hair and bright blue eyes was Castiel Novak, and the other was Fergus Macload, a student who had moved from England when he was in eighth grade.   
> “Gabriel, I believe we need to get started.  We only have an hour,” Castiel said, and his words seemed to calm the energetic junior down enough to regain order.

        It was the first day of Dean Winchester’s senior year, which was a miracle by many standards.  First of all, Dean had managed to pass all his classes with the constant school changes to allow him to reach his senior year.  Second of all, Dean had not dropped out and picked up a job at a local garage to help bring money into the income.  The third, and most surprising, thing was that Dean’s father promised that they were staying put in the small town of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

        Dean’s father was a military man, and Dean and his little brother, Sam, had seen many towns and many schools in their life time.  Now, however, they were settling down finally.  Sioux Falls was the home of one of John’s military friends, Bobby Singer, so it seemed natural that John gravitated there to let his boys finally feel at home in a town.

        All of those things led to Dean Winchester driving a beat up, rusting 1967 Chevy Impala toward Sioux Falls High with his little brother in the passenger seat.  Dean found that he got a headache every time he thought about all the coincidences that had to occur to allow this moment to happen, and he couldn’t help but feel like his mother would have been proud of him.  For once in his life, he was starting to feel truly happy as well.  He could keep driving forever, if it meant that he got to drive his dream car (even if it needed a lot of work) with his brother in the passenger seat.  He didn’t think anything could get better than that.  Even if his brother was dragging him to a nerdy club that day.

        “Why do they have a meeting the first day of school?” Dean had complained when Sam came home from freshman orientation talking only about the Fantasy Realm club that had a booth at the orientation. 

        Dean, of course, was happy to go and even happier that Sam had looked up at him with wide, brown puppy dog eyes and all but begged him to go.  Still, he felt like it was his job as an older brother to harass Sam about the nerdy gaming club that he was making them join, and Sam had, on many occasions, felt that it was his job as a younger brother to retort with the fake that in many ways Dean was a bigger nerd than him. 

        The two Winchesters boys climbed out of the impala once Dean had parked in one of the ‘student only’ spots.  He even had student parking pass, which was his first ever.  He proudly put it up on the dashboard, getting an eye roll and a snort from Sam. 

        “Bitch,” Dean retorted.

        “Jerk,” Sam replied simply back.

        Dean couldn’t help but beam as he stepped out of the car and looked toward the old building that was the high school.  The year before Sam had gone through a phase of “you’re annoying and I’m cool” that had been the entirety of his eighth grade year.  Dean had truly been tired of being look at like he was day old lunch meat by his little brother.  Now, however, they were all but tied at the hip, and Dean didn’t mind one bit. 

        The two were joined by a family friend, Jo Harvelle, as they hit the steps that lead up to the school’s front door.  Dean smiled and ruffled Jo’s hair, only to get a scoff and a glare from the younger girl.

        “You’re coming today, right?” Dean asked.

        Jo sighed.  Dean and Jo had grown up close to each other.  They had met when Dean was ten and Jo was nine, and they had found similar interests in weapons, self-defense classes, and superhero movies.  Since then, Jo was like the younger sister that Dean didn’t know he had wanted.  She was also the person that Dean and turned to for backup when it came to Sam’s nerdy club.  Though Dean was most likely going to secretly enjoy it, he wanted both his best friends to be there.

        “Of course,” Jo sighed. “But only because you practically begged me, and helped me out with that creep that kept coming into the Roadhouse.”

         Dean smiled and wrapped an arm over both Jo’s and Sam’s shoulder, though that was hard as Sam had a major growth spirt over the summer and was now almost as tall as his brother.  Dean had now doubt the boy would pass him up, even though he would never acknowledge it aloud.

         “What are you doing?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

        “Enjoy my last first day with my two best friends,” Dean said with a smirk.

        Sam groaned and rolled his eyes as his brother, but the smile that formed on his lips was hard to miss.

~*~*~

        The Fantasy Realm club started promptly at three, five minutes after the end of the school day.  It was in one of the back halls of the school, and Dean was coming to the classroom only a minute before three.  Sam and Jo were leaning against the wall outside the classroom door, talking softly with each other.

         “They not in there yet?” Dean asked as he strolled up to the other two.

         “No, they are. We were just waiting for you,” Sam said, smiling at his older brother. 

         He clapped Dean’s shoulder and pulled open the door.  The room that the club had taken claim to was a computer lab.  At the back of the room, by the door, was the teacher’s desk.  The club advisor, Mr. Garth Fitzgerald IV, was there and he smiled at the three as they walked in.  In front of the teacher’s desk were two rows of computers, four computers at each row.  There had to be at least six sets of these four in each of the two rows.  At the front of the classroom, just in front of the white board, was a long table, one of the cheap fake wood ones that school’s got.  An assortment of chairs were placed around the table, and five people already sat there.

         The person at the head of the table had a nice chair, with wheels.  He appeared to be short, even when sitting. He had light brown hair that tapered down to his chin, and his eyes were a honey-gold color.  To his right sat a younger, Asian boy with short dark hair and equally dark eyes.  Next to him was a seemingly energetic ginger female.  She had chocolate brown eyes and was chattering avidly to the boy across from her, who had dark hair that stuck up in every direction and bright blue eyes.  Beside him, but not next to the head of the table, was an older looking boy with brown hair that was swept back and dark eyes that looked as though they had seen things that no one would believe.

        When the Winchesters and Jo walked in, the chattering stopped and the boy at the head of the table jumped up with more energy than Dean thought possible, and he looked at the three of them like they were pieces of candy that he was about to enjoy. 

        “Newbies!” the boy said, bounding over.  He looked the three of them over before grabbing on of Sam’s hands and dragging him toward the table, forcing Dean and Jo to follow.

        The rest of the group turned to look at the three, and the advisor only glanced up to make sure that no one was being hurt.  The five students who sat around the table looked both shocked and excited to see more people in their club.

        “That’s four in one day.  That’s got to be a record,” the ginger said excitedly. 

        “Hey, Kevin,” Sam said, nodding toward the Asian boy. “You’re in my English class, aren’t you?”

        “Yup.  Sankus’ freshman pre-ap, first period,” the boy responded.

        “Right! Introductions,” the apparent head of the group said, still far too excited and energetic for Dean.  However, introductions were something that Dean wanted to get over with.

        The head of the group, and Gameplay Commander, was Gabriel Milton, a junior at Sioux Hills High and a member of the club since his freshman year, when it was founded.  The Asian boy was Kevin, as Sam had said, and a freshman who had seen the booth at orientation.  Sam smiled, and Dean was glad to know that there would be someone in Sam’s grade that Sam could become friends with.  The ginger was Charlie, a sophomore and proclaimed computer expert.  The last two students were seniors.  The boy with the messy hair and bright blue eyes was Castiel Novak, and the other was Fergus Macload, a student who had moved from England when he was in eighth grade. 

        “Gabriel, I believe we need to get started.  We only have an hour,” Castiel said, and his words seemed to calm the energetic junior down enough to regain order.

        “Right, sorry about that.  I always love starting a new campaign.  Last year we did a sci-fi game in which we were in space, as aliens, exploring the Fallen System and led by the amazing Gameplay Commander, Anna Milton.  This year, we’re going back to the basics. I’ve created a fantasy world, in which there is no technology, where Fantasy Realm began,” Gabriel said, and there were oohs and aahs from the members who had clearly been there before. “So, I know we’ve got about as many newbies and oldies, so we’re going to pair up – sort of.  I can’t take all four, and I know Castiel is almost done with his character, so two can go with him and two can come with me.”

        “Sorry,” Dean said, “but I am very new at this.  What exactly is this game?”

        There were a couple raised eyebrows, and Gabriel smirked. “Well, Dean-o, Fantasy Realm in an intense roleplay based game, in which you create a character that will eventually go out on quests and adventures within the world I’ve created.  You’ll roll to test your luck at skills.  Roll high, and you’ll succeed.  Roll low, and you’ll fail.  First, however, we need to create the character we will be playing as.  In the middle of the table is a character sheet.  It’s not what I recommend using for the whole campaign, as there is very limited space and your inventory will hopefully exceed that small box.  However, it will ensure that we hit everything we need to in character creation.  Each character must be okayed by moi, and must have weaknesses.  Right, everyone grab a sheet and if you’re an oldie, grab one of the six sided die.  Samsquatch and Dean-o, you’re with me. Jo and Kevin, go with Cassie.”

        Castiel rolled his eyes, most likely at Gabriel’s nickname for him, and the group broke up.  Sam grabbed two sheets, handing one to Dean.  Dean scrambled in his backpack and pulled out a pencil before following Gabriel.  Gabriel led them over to the computers in the room and turned two on.  When Dean looked around, the other members in the group were doing the same.

        “Right, so to start your character building, you’ve got to pick a race and a class.  Race is what species your character is, and other than backstory, appearance, and social conduct it normally has little to do with your abilities.  Class is kind of like a job or training.  It’s what your character choses to be.  Some classes are unavailable to certain races, and if you don’t like any of the races but have another in mind, it’s open to that too,” Gabriel explained.

        “So pick a class first?” Sam asked.

        “Not exactly, Sam.  It depends, really.  Look over both and try to pair things together.  If you want to pair two things that don’t go, pick which one you like more,” Gabriel explained. 

        “How to we pick?” Dean asked.

        “I’m pulling it up, Dean-o.  Calm down.  We use the Fantasy Realm wiki page, the seventh edition of the game.  If you go there and look up 7e stuff, you’ll find a list of all the races and classes.  Spend your time on that, and leave the pages up for me so we can look over your bonuses and inventory.”

        The two brothers sat down, and Gabriel navigated them to the two pages they wanted via Sam’s computer.  Dean was just started to look over the races when Castiel came over and handed a sheet to Gabriel.  Gabriel looked it over and nodded before heading toward the front.  He grabbed a white board marker and scribbled on the white board before clearing his throat.

        “Introducing Zaphiel, Castiel’s character,” Gabriel said. “He is a Light Lord Nephilim with a morningstar, a long sword, and light based magic.  He has bonuses in perception, intimidation, strength, and charisma based on Castiel’s rolls and the race or class bonuses.”

         There was some clapping and Gabriel took a picture of the character sheet before handing it back to Castiel.  Dean watched as Castiel walked back to Jo and Kevin, most likely to help them get started.

         “Do you do that with every character?” Sam asked when Gabriel returned.

        “Yup.  You’ll have a whole backstory too that I don’t announce, but it’s important for the others to know your character and what they are.  The names, classes, races, and bonuses will stay on the board for the first couple meetings so that we can get used to them all.  You’ll memorize the names, races, and classes in a couple meetings,” Gabriel explained.

        Dean was already back to searching.  Soon, his eyes fell on something that intrigued him in the list of races.  It was called a Spirit Walker and when he opened the page, he was only more enthralled.   The creature itself was one that was like a ghost, but appeared to be human to a majority of creatures.  Mostly, it’s job was to help less intelligent creatures to find peace, but from what Gabriel had been talking about he was sure he could change it slightly.  What had really caught Dean’s attention was the picture that a user had drawn for the race.  It was a generic looking woman, but for some reason Dean could only see it as his mother. 

        “An interesting chose, Dean-o.  I don’t think I’ve ever played with a spirit before.  Demons, yes. Spirits, no.  You picked a class yet?” Gabriel asked.

        “Nah, but I want it to be something – noble and daring,” Dean asked.

        “Like a knight?” Gabriel asked, and when Dean’s eyes light up he chuckled and navigated the class page until he had pulled up the information about knights. “Right, figure out a name and a backstory while we wait for Sam to finish up.  I’ll help you guys with the next part together as it’s fairly easy.”

        As Dean created his character he soon saw his mother disappearing, and saw a version of himself coming up.  A man without a mother, who would do anything to protect the weak.  Of course, this man was everything that Dean wasn’t.  He was brave to a tee and would never give up.  He was confident in himself, and probably wouldn’t put his foot in his mouth all the time.

        Before Sam was done, Charlie game up.  The redhead was bubbling and almost falling over with excitement as she handed over her character sheet.  Gabriel smirked and shook his head.

        “I should have known.  It’s a very you character,” he said before heading to the front and making another introduction.

        “Introducing Ellisithertalli, or Elli for short, Charlie’s character.  She is a Bounty Hunter Siren.  She has no magical powers other than her persuasive voice.  She has a crossbow, dagger, and bonuses in charisma, persuasion, stealth, and determination based on her rolls and character bonuses.”

         There was clapping again, and when Gabriel returned Sam was ready.  Gabriel looked over Sam’s sheet and nodded.

          “Interesting,” he said. “So we’ve got a Knight Spirit Walker named Claris and a female Medic Devilkin named Armorina.  I like how this game is turning out.  Okay, before we start the rolls, you’ve got to pick your personality group.”  Gabriel slid close to Sam, pulling up a google search. He browsed through photos quickly before pulling up a character that held nine Disney characters with names underneath.

        “What is this?” Dean asked.

        “These are the basis of your character’s personality.  Each person will fall into a certain category based on traits.  These charts are always a hundred percent accurate, but they’ll give you a base idea and this one is pretty good.  It’s kind of the base for your actions.  Like here, this one has the Red Queen, who is slightly insane.  You also see the Joker fall into this category a lot.  Meanwhile, you’ve got Mufasa on the other end, which is one that often holds Superman and Captain America as well,” Gabriel explained.

        Gabriel pulled up another page with more detailed descriptions of each of the groups.  Dean and Sam didn’t spend much time before they had both picked and moved on.  Gabriel grabbed the six sided die he had brought over and placed it between them.

        “On your character sheet you’ve got a large group of six boxes on your left side. These are your basic ‘skills’ to say; strength, artistry, dedication or determination, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma.  Everyone’s got a chance at gaining these.  You’ll roll four times and subtract the lowest score from the overall total.  Based on how well you roll, you may or may not gain bonuses.  Your character may also have bonuses based on race or class.”

        The brothers nodded and took turns rolling for skills. Dean managed to roll for a bonus in strength, and Sam managed to roll for a bonus in intelligence and charisma, which Gabriel said fit since he was a medic.

        The Gabriel started searching through the pages they had up on their race and class.  He explained that sometimes the race held bonuses, but neither of them did.  They each made note of physical descriptions, and then Gabriel closed that tab.  He then moved onto class.  He told them that each type of class started with different weapons, tools, and skills, most of which they chose.  He went through, working with Sam first.  Sam got his tools and a couple more bonuses.  He started filling in his inventory while Gabriel turned to help Dean.  As he did, Jo came up and looked like she had a question.

        “Yes?” Gabriel asked.

        “Well, I was looking through and Castiel said it should be okay, but I couldn’t find a race that I liked.  I’ve always liked the ideas of wiccans …”

        “Enough said,” Gabriel said. “I trust that Castiel will help make the character work.  You’re good.”

        Jo smiled and moved back toward Kevin and Castiel, and Gabriel turned back to Dean. Like Sam, Dean got his tools and weapons, rolled for more bonuses, and started filling in his inventory.  Soon Gabriel was grabbing their sheets and introducing their characters, Kevin and Fergus waiting beside Gabriel to hand over their characters as well.

        “Introducing Claris, Dean’s character.  He is a Knight Spirit Walker.  He doesn’t have magic abilities, but he hides his true form from a majority of beings.  He appears in a human form, not in ghost form.  He can also communicate with the spirit realm.  He has a long sword, a mace, and bonuses in strength, athletics, insight, and determination based on his rolls and character. 

        “Introducing, also, Armorina, Sam’s character.  She is a medic devilkin with magic in the fields of medicine and weak fire and dark magic. She has a long sword, bow, and bonuses in intelligence, charisma, magic, and medicine.”

        There was clapping while Gabriel looked over Kevin and Fergus’s characters.  Dean glanced back at the clock, noticing how fifty minutes of their hour club had already gone by.  He didn’t think that it would go by that fast, especially in the first meeting.  He found that he was having fun creating a character that was pretty much an alternate version of himself.

        “Introducing Zibex, Kevin’s character, and perhaps my favorite species so far.  He is a Dragon Knight Dracon.  A dracon is a humanoid dragon, and Kevin’s character shows his dragon side by the scales that shade his body and the tail that he has.  He does not have any magic, but can summon a lightning attack from his dragon side.  He has a whip, a mace, and bonuses in wisdom, animal handling, and survival.

        “Introducing Crowley, Fergus’ character, and our only evilly aligned character though he will assist the good characters – for his own gain, of course.  He is a Black Guard Demon and though he has no magic currently, he has the ability to learn dark magic.  He has a double ended sword, a pickaxe, and bonuses in strength, intimidation, perception, and sleight of hand and stealth.”

        There was clapping again and Dean didn’t know if he liked the smirk on Fergus’s face.  He glanced over at Sam, who was playing with the ends of his shirt.  Dean gently elbowed Sam and smiled at his brother.

       “This is going to be fun,” he finally admitted, and he got a smile back from Sam.

        Jo went up to Gabriel five minutes before the end of the club.  Gabriel smiled at her character and nodded.

        “And finally, introducing Avani, an Enchantress Wiccan. She has magic drawn from and concerning the earth around her, with the ability to learn alchemy.  She has a short sword, dagger, and bonuses in magic, medicine, and perception.”

        There was cheering as the last character went on the board and the members of the club started packing up.

         “Wait!” Gabriel said. “Briefly.  I will give your character a birth place based on my world next meeting.  I suggest to you newbies that you transfer your character to a notebook or an electronic note that you can bring to every meeting.  Also, I would like your phone numbers so we can have a giant group chat.  As the meetings are only an hour, some weeks we won’t get through much.  However, we will finish this campaign at the end of the year, whether the quest is finished or not.”

        With that, the club was unofficially dismissed.  Jo fell into step beside the Winchester boys, as they were driving her to the Roadhouse for her shift at her mother’s restaurant and bar.  They didn’t speak until they were all safely piled into the impala.

        “That was great! I’m so excited for us to actually start.  My character can do magic! And she’s a medic!” Sam said excitedly. “I don’t know why I picked a girl.  I just felt like it fit for someone who’s the child of a demon and human.”

        Dean chuckled and shook his head at his brother’s antics.

        “Castiel and Kevin both seemed nice.  I wonder why Castiel isn’t the Gameplay Commander.  I mean, he’s a senior and knows his stuff,” Jo said.

        Dean shrugged slightly. “Maybe he didn’t want to be, or maybe Gabriel wanted it more.  Gabriel seemed – nice?  He was energetic and I think he’s got a prankster side to him.”

        “Why do you think that?” Sam asked.

        “I can just feel it,” Dean said.

        “Oh he does,” Jo said. “Gabriel’s known as the class clown at the school.  I’ve had a couple classes with him.  He’s a nice guy though, and he has his lines.  He seems to stick up for the underdogs as well.  He’s older sister, Anna, had a lot of problems with rumors and he pranked a lot of her tormentors.  They’re cousins with the Novaks, Castiel’s family,” Jo explained, as she had lived in Sioux Falls since she was twelve.

        “What do you know about that Fergus guy?” Dean asked. “He gives me the creeps.”

        “He came here from England his eighth grade year, and I think I heard a rumor that he and his mother don’t get along very well.  I don’t know.  He hangs out with a not so hot crowd, the druggies and possible gang members. Well, the wanna-be gang members.  This is Sioux Falls after all.  People generally don’t like him, and from what I’ve heard he does what’s going to help him,” Jo said. “People don’t tend to mess with him.  I don’t know anything about Charlie or Kevin.”

        Dean nodded and glanced back at Jo in his rear view mirror. He wasn’t letting it show that he was actually excited about this.  The people in the club seemed interesting, and Dean thought that it might turn out good.  If it didn’t he could always leave.

        It was late that night when Gabriel actually set up the group chat.  Everyone sent their names, and Dean found that he actually had names in his phone outside of his family and surrogate family.  He smiled at the thought, letting himself be happy with it.  Happiness usually led to disappointment, but for now Dean let himself enjoy it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the first chapter of my new work! I am so excited for this work! Please expect slow updates. I am writing longer chapters for this fic, as you can probably tell already, and I want to keep the quality up. Plus I will be starting college soon, so that will delay updates as well. I love you all! I hope you guys are going to enjoy this as much as I do. This chapter was a lot of character set up, but I promise there is more interaction in the following chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six beers and three hours later, Dean was helping a buzzed Castiel toward the impala with Gabriel and Jo trailing behind. The other two were still sober enough to walk themselves to the car, and neither had a slur in their words.  Castiel, however, was another story.  Dean had watched as Castiel tossed back the beer he had given him and gone for a second.  By the third beer, Castiel was properly buzzed and letting pretty much anybody come up and dance with him.  Dean hadn’t like the looks that other students were sharing with each other, and he had stepped in after the fourth beer was gone and hands were starting to move without a brain’s consent.  Dean had seen the look of strain and discomfort on Castiel’s face even through the beers.  Even after that Castiel continued to toss back beers and after the sixth, Dean was glad that Gabriel and Jo had found him and said they were ready to go.

        The next day Dean found himself slightly saddened by the fact that there was no Fantasy Realm meeting.  He wouldn’t admit it out loud, and he wouldn’t let it show.  He did feel it, however.  He woke up earlier than Sam and found that his father had already gone out to work.  That left Dean to make breakfast for the two of them.  Their fridge had more food than usual, and it made Dean smile slightly.  He knew a lot of it was Jo’s mother, Ellen, helping out, but either way he was grateful for it. 

        Sam was up shortly after Dean and soon the two were finished with breakfast and in the impala.  Dean’s classic rock was blasting through the speakers when both of their phones buzzed, presumably from the Fantasy Realm group.

        “What’d they say, Sammy?” Dean asked, glancing over to see that Sam already had his phone out and unlocked.

        “Gabriel sent a text to the two of us and Jo.  He told us where they normally ate lunch and said that we were welcome to join,” Sam said.

        Dean nodded, but didn’t say anything.  He was allowing himself to think about the offer.  The day before they had eaten lunch with Jo and her friends.  Her closest friend, Ash, had graduated the year before, and that had left them eating lunch with a scrawny boy named Garth, a pretty brunette named Lisa, and a student who had moved from France named Balthazar.  They were all nice, but Sam and Dean had both felt a little out of place.  Dean was good at hiding it, at camouflaging himself to fit in with others easily.  Sam wasn’t, however, and it had become pretty clear to Dean that Sam was not comfortable with anyone in that group outside of Jo and himself.

        “Tell him that we’ll be there.  If you want,” Dean said.

        He glanced over to see Sam’s face lit up, and in that moment he decided that it wouldn’t have mattered if he did really like the people they had hung out with the day before.  The look on Sam’s face was far more precious.  Dean would have given anything up to make Sam happy.

        The school was only a ten minute drive from their house, and soon the two were walking up the steps to the main foyer of the school.  There was still a good chunk of time before the first bell of the day would ring, but the school was already swarming with students.  The two of them made their way down the hall and only split up when they had to get to their own lockers.  Dean’s locker was farther down the hall, so he clapped Sam’s shoulder and told him that he’d see him at lunch.  Sam smiled and nodded before turning to his locker.

        When Dean reached his locker, he was greeted by Lisa.  The way she batted her eyes and leaned in closer than necessary told Dean that she was interested in him, but Dean found himself not truly wanting to show interest back.  Sure, he’d been with a lot of girls and even some guys in the past, but those he had known would only be flings because sooner or later Dad would drag them off to some other town.  Now, though, he knew he was staying, and the idea of getting with someone without knowing when they would end was slight frightening.  Looking at Lisa, he could appreciate her beauty and he knew that she was smart as well, yet he didn’t think he was ready for a long term commitment. 

        “Hey Lisa,” he said calmly, pulling out his books for his first couple of periods from his locker. 

        “Look, I’m having a small party on Friday.  Not a lot of people, and there may be alcohol.  Juniors and seniors only, so no Sam unfortunately,” she said.

        Dean looked at her and raised an eyebrow.  Did he want to go to a party?  More importantly, would he rather go to a party than spend the night with Sam watching stupid movies?  Still, he needed to make friends, didn’t he?

        “Sure, I’ll be there,” he said.  “Jo’s invited right?”

        “Of course! I couldn’t not invite her.  I invited Gabriel as well; I don’t know if you know him.  He can be an ass, but he’s entertaining.  He insisted that his cousin, Castiel, be invited too,” she said, grimacing a little at her last comment.

        “What’s wrong with Castiel?” Dean asked, suddenly interested in what Lisa was saying.  When he had met Castiel the day before, he had seemed nice.  Sure, maybe a little shy, but overall nice.  Jo had said the same thing.

        “He’s – awkward,” Lisa said. “He takes everything seriously and doesn’t get jokes.  I don’t know how he and his cousin get along so well.  He just – he’s not someone I would chose to invite to a party, you know?”

        Dean nodded, but didn’t say anything.  He didn’t know Castiel enough to be able to agree or disagree with Lisa, and he knew that she could be a little bit on the ruder side so he didn’t know if he fully trusted her word either.

        “Anyway, I’ll see you in history and on Friday.  Oh yeah – semi-formal attire.  So like a button down and nice, dark jeans would do.”

        Dean nodded, quickly going through his closet in his mind to see if he had clothes to fit the dress code.  He supposed that he did and moved on, not letting himself worry about it until Friday. 

        The first couple periods passed smoothly, and when Dean bid goodbye to Lisa after history, she didn’t question why they weren’t going to lunch together.  Dean checked the message from Gabriel before grabbing a lunch from the school cafeteria and maneuvering his way outside.  He quickly spotted Gabriel and the crew exactly where Gabriel had described.  There was a small overhang with circular tables underneath, and at one of these tables sat most of the Fantasy Realm club, minus Fergus and Jo, who was most likely with the other group.  Dean smiled and ruffled Sam’s hair as he sat down between him and Charlie.

        Charlie was avidly talking about _Star Trek_ with Castiel, who was arguing that the _Deep Space Nine_ series was better than the _Enterprise_ series.  Sam, meanwhile, was speaking with Kevin and Gabriel about Norse mythology.  It appeared that both of the other boys were as interested in it as Sam was.

        “Sam’s always had an interest in Loki,” Dean said, smirking and elbowing his brother. “Don’t know why.  He seems like an asshole to me.”

        Gabriel scoffed, though there was a sparkle in his eye. “Let me guess.  Thor’s your favorite,” he said.

        Dean shrugged. “Guilty as charged.  I don’t know many of them though.  Just really the ones that are in _Marvel_.”

        Sam rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his lips.  Dean let them get back to their nerd conversation, allowing himself to fall into Castiel and Charlie’s.  Truthfully, he wanted to figure out if Lisa was right in what she had said earlier that day.   So far, Castiel didn’t seem awkward at all, but it could be because he was comfortable with Charlie.

        “Personally _Voyager_ was my favorite series,” Dean chimed in.  “I just liked the characters and felt myself rooting for them, even when the plot got annoying.”

        “See!” Charlie said. “Plus, Seven-of-Nine was amazing.”

         “ _Generations_ is like the original series.  It’s the one that everyone thinks of when you talk about Star Trek in terms of TV shows,” Castiel said with a shrug.

        “Okay, Dean,” Charlie said. “ _Star Trek_ or _Star Wars_?”

        Dean didn’t have to think before answering, “ _Star Wars_ all the way.”

        Charlie did a little cheer and Dean thought that he caught a ghost of a smile press against Castiel’s stoic face.

        “At least we can all agree on that,” Castiel said.  He turned his pure blue eyes on Dean before continuing. “So what do you think about the club?  I know that you are knew to playing.”

        “Yeah.  It seems cool though.  I really enjoyed making a character. I mean, you could be anything,” Dean said.

        “Just wait until we actually start the game,” Charlie said excitedly. “This is my second year playing and last year was _so_ fun.  I mean, it was a space version, which meant aliens and space travel and robots.  But this year Gabriel wanted to go back to the basics, which is super exciting as well.”

        Dean chuckled a little bit at the girl. “So what does the game usually consist of?”

        “At some point Gabriel will lead our characters into a quest,” Castiel explained.  “The quest is normally the overarching idea of the game, the thing that we need to accomplish.  Sometimes we complete two or three a year, and sometimes we barely finish one.  It depends on the intensity of the quest and how many side quests we have.  Side quests are kind of like subplots.  Where the quest normally involves all characters, the side quest normally involves one or two characters.  Sometimes we’ll have weeks in a row of just side quests while we’re waiting for the main quest to pick up.”

        Dean nodded, though he must have seemed worried because Charlie piped in with, “Don’t worry. It’s really easy to get the hang of and we’ll help you through it. If you need help managing your bonuses and stuff, I’m sure that Castiel and I will be happy to help you.”

        Dean nodded and smiled. He was about to thank them when another voice chimed in.

        “So, Dean-o, you going to Lisa’s famous back to school party?” Gabriel asked, leaning his elbows on the table. “The juniors and seniors only one?”

        “Yeah.  She asked this morning and I told her I would,” Dean said with a shrug. “Jo’s going too.”

        “Be warned.  Her parties can get pretty crazy.  Last year – well a lot of kids had too much to drink.”

         Dean grimaced a little and nodded. “If I’m driving Jo, I won’t have more than one beer at the beginning.”

        “So you’ll be gone Friday night?” Sam asked, almost masking the sadness in his voice.  The others might not have caught it, but Dean did and it made his heart sink a little.

        “You can come over to my house, Sam,” Kevin chipped in. “My mom would be happy to have you over and we could have a movie marathon or something.  Charlie, you could come too. My mom’s cool with you spending the night since you’re – you know…”

        “Gay,” Charlie said without batting an eye, and Kevin nodded.

        Sam smiled widely and glanced over at Dean, who waved his hand as though to say ‘go ahead’.  Sam smiled more and accepted Kevin’s offer. 

        It wasn’t like this hadn’t happened before. Dean had often gone to parties without Sam, especially the year before.  It felt weird, though.  Perhaps it was because they were hanging out together, with the same friends, or perhaps it was because they were finally settling down somewhere and Dean was worried that the bond they’d shared over having to constantly move was going to disappear.  Whatever it was, Dean shoved it down far, until it was at the bottom of his stomach where it couldn’t be touched. 

        “If you guys need a ride, I’d be happy to give you one,” Dean offered to Castiel and Gabriel.

        “That’d be great Dean,” Gabriel said. “You could spend the night at my place too, if you’d like. Jo would be welcome too, of course.”

        Dean nodded. “Sure.  As long as Sammy doesn’t need anything that would be great.”

        “We could head back when the party gets boring and do something more fun,” Castiel said and his cousin snorted in agreement.

        Dean glanced between the two, analyzing the bond.  They seemed almost more like brothers than cousins, and Dean wondered why that was.  Then again, Jo was like his little sister and they weren’t even related.  Some people just click like that.  Lisa had been right, though, in the fact that Castiel and Gabriel didn’t seem like two that would get along well.  It was like saying that Captain America and Loki would get along.  Sure, they could if they tried, but it didn’t seem like something that would come naturally.

        Dean figured out why Gabriel and Castiel were so close on Wednesday at lunch.  Dean and Gabriel were the first two at the table, and Dean took the risk to ask about it.

        “Castiel’s parents – well, he butts heads with them a lot.  My parents have always been there to take Castiel in, whether it was his parents dropping him off when he was younger because he was being ‘a pain’, or it was Castiel walking over when he was younger because he got in a fight with his parents again.  His parents can be pretty conservative and religious with their views, and while my parents are religious they aren’t even as close to as strict. So, we pretty much grew up as brothers.  I sometimes think he’s at my house more than he’s at his.”

        Dean was shocked, and it showed.  Before he could say how sorry he was about the situation, Kevin and Sam joined them.  Gabriel gave Dean a look, and Dean understood.  What he had just learned was not to be repeated.  It felt like something that was more of Castiel’s story to tell than Gabriel or Dean’s.  When Castiel arrived Dean bit his tongue before he could say anything about what he had just learned.  He saw Castiel in a whole new light, however.  He could understand why Castiel tended to talk less than the others, and why he could be a little awkward.  If he grew up constantly butting heads with the two people who were supposed to love you unconditionally.  Dean couldn’t help but understand, and he knew that Sam could have ended up the same way.  

        Castiel glanced over at Dean with questioning eyes, and Dean realized that he had been staring.  He fought to keep a blush off his cheeks and focused on the disgusting looking burger the school had provided for lunch.  He knew that if he swung by the Roadhouse, Ellen could cook a burger far more superior than this one, but then again Dean didn’t know anyone who could cook better burgers than Ellen. 

        It felt natural, with the group that he and Sam were with.  Sure, Gabriel could get on his nerve, but he didn’t feel like he was pretending in order to get along with them.  Sure, they didn’t know everything about him and there were still secrets that were buried deep, but it felt natural.  When Dean looked at Sam, he could see that Sam felt the same way.  Everything felt so natural with them all.  Everything felt right. 

~*~*~

 

        Friday came and before Dean knew it he was sorting through his clothes in his closet.  Jo laid on his bed, already dressed in a dress that started out tight and then flared at her waist.  She had agreed to come over early, knowing that Dean would be struggling to find an outfit.

        “What about your green shirt?” Jo asked. “You wore that at Christmas last year and it really brought out your eyes.”

        Dean glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow.  Jo just shrugged and glanced back at her phone. “Ash said to have fun at Lisa’s party.  We went last year and Ash got dead drunk.  I had to call ma, and boy was she pissed at him.  Not for getting drunk – that she could care less.  No she was pissed because he was too drunk to keep me from breaking some guy’s nose.”

        Jo laughed and Dean couldn’t help but chuckle as well.  It was just like Jo to knock some guy in the nose and break it, and very much like Ellen to only be mad at that.

        “Well you can tell Ellen that I’ll make sure you don’t break anyone’s nose this year,” Dean said before shoving Jo out of the room so that he could get dressed.

        Dean dropped Sam off at Kevin’s before he drove toward the address that Gabriel gave him.  He and Jo both gawked at the house when they finally pulled up at it.  It and the house beside it, which he had learned was Castiel’s, were giant compared to their houses.  They each had two stories, and they were made of white stone and spiraling columns.  They looked like they had come straight out of some Greek city.  The lawns were neat and orderly with colorful flowers planted along the stone path that led up to the porch and the front door. 

        Dean knocked at the door as Jo had decided that she would rather stay in the car.  One side of the front double door swung open and Gabriel stood there.  He was dressed in a black button down paired with black slacks.  His hair was combed back and his smile was like that of a mad man.   Castiel soon walked up behind Gabriel, and Dean would never admit that his breath caught.  Castiel wore a baby blue button down that made his eyes shine brighter than normal, which was saying something.  Over that he wore a rugged tan trench coat that would have made anyone but Castiel look like a creep. Somehow, Castiel managed to pull off the trench coat look.

        Dean cleared his throat and smiled. “Right, come on,” he said. “We don’t want to be too late.”

        By the time they reached the party, it was already in swing. Lisa lived in a decent sized house at the outskirts of town where they wouldn’t get too many noise complaints.  The house was Spanish styled with white walls and a red tiled roof.  It seemed out of place in South Dakota, but showed that her parents were decently off.  Dean had noticed that about Sioux Falls; there was a large wealth gap and you were either well off or poor.  Dean hadn’t seen many problems between the two classes within the high school, but he knew that there had to be some.

        Jo knocked on the door and it swung open to reveal Lisa.  Lisa smiled and greeted them all, though her eyes seemed to flicker questions at the fact that Dean and Jo had shown up at the same time as Castiel and Gabriel.  She didn’t pose any questions aloud, however, and pulled the door open more.  Dean couldn’t help but take in how beautiful Lisa looked in her dress. She was wearing a tight, yet respectable cocktail dress.  It was a dark navy, that was almost black, and it seemed to light her up.  Dean knew that she was the type of person he would have gone after at other schools, but something was holding him back.  It wasn’t Lisa, because she had shown all the signs of being interested in him.  Perhaps it was something in Dean telling him that he wouldn’t ever truly be himself with Lisa, and he was tired of pretending. 

       Lisa wrapped her arm in Dean’s, and Dean didn’t pull away.  Instead, he offered Lisa a smile and let her lead him toward the drinks.

        “I’m driving tonight so one beer is it for me,” he said and he could have sworn that Lisa had a sad smile on her lips.

        “Why are you such a good guy, Dean?” she asked.

        Dean scoffed and shook his head. “I’m not good, Lisa.  I just don’t want to hurt or kill anyone in my car.  I couldn’t live with that on my head.”

        Lisa just shook her head again, the same sad smile appearing.  She clapped his shoulder and moved into the crowd of students that lined the living room.  Dean grabbed a beer and leaned against the kitchen counter, letting himself watch.  Gabriel had already become the center of attention, shouting and most likely making dumb jokes that Dean couldn’t hear over the pounding music.  He watched as Jo rolled her eyes and pushed herself away from someone who was attempting to flirt with her.  Though Dean was tempted to go over and make it clear that Jo wasn’t interested, he pushed those feelings down.  He knew that Jo could handle herself.

        Jo pushed herself through the crowd until she ended up beside Dean.  She grabbed a beer, opened it, and took a sip before leaning against the counter with Dean.

        “What’s up?” she said. “You would normally be out there, flirting with the prettiest girl or guy – probably Lisa in this case – and becoming the heart throb of the school.  Instead you’re standing over here like a loser.”

        “Just not feeling it tonight.”

        “Don’t give me that bullcrap.  You and I both know that it’s something more.  You’re just being your usual self and bottling the problem up.  I’ve got news for you, Dean Winchester.  You’re in my town now and I’m not letting you bottle things up until you implode.  You might think that it’s your job to protect me, like I’m your little sister.  Well it goes both ways.  So suck it up and tell me.”

        Dean sighed.  He glanced over at Jo.  Though she was a half a foot shorter than him and about fifty pounds lighter, the look she gave him was intimidating and he knew that he wasn’t getting out of it.

        “I’m just tired of pretending, that’s all,” Dean said. “People look at me and expect that I’m some kinda jock and popular kid.  I’d rather sit and listen to my brother geek out about some bullshit mythology – you tell Sam that and I’ll kill you.”

        Jo chuckled and shook her head. “Lisa wouldn’t expect you to be someone else, you know,” she said. “You’re a nice guy and I think that she’s falling for you – the nerd that you are and all.”

        “Yeah, maybe she wouldn’t care about me liking _Star Trek_ and _Batman_ , but …” Dean trailed off.

        “Are you scared?” Jo asked, seeing through every wall that Dean put up. “I mean, you’re here indefinitely.  You and I both know that if you’re going to college you’re going online or to the college nearby because you can’t stand being too far away from Sam.  And don’t even start on the ‘I’m not going to college’ crap.  You’re dead smart enough, especially in math.”

        “I don’t know if it’s that I’m scared, or if I actually want someone that I could be more with,” Dean said. “Be honest, Jo.  Do you really think Lisa and I would be anything more than a fling?  Do you really think that we could actually like each other for more than our bodies?”

        Jo sighed and took a long sip out of her beer bottle. “I don’t know Dean.  What I do know is that you’ve got to figure it out.  You’ve got a lot of things to figure out.  Maybe you can start with the college thing?  You know, SDSM and T is a good college for engineering, and it’s not even five minutes from Bobby’s garage.  There’s a lot you could do with an engineering degree, and it’s still within what you love.”

        Dean sighed. “Jo, are we really doing the college talk at a party?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

        “Well you don’t want to socialize and you don’t listen to me and mom when we bring it up at other times,” Jo snapped.

        Dean put his hands up in surrender and nodded. “Alright, alright.  I’ll go socialize.  I’ll go find Castiel or Gabriel or something.”

        Jo smirked at her victory before she pushed herself back into the crowd.  Dean finished off his beer before tossing the can and making his way through the crowd in attempts to find someone he knew.  His mind drifted as he moved, thinking back to what Jo had said.  College had never been something he thought of before.  He was a C average student with the exception of math, which he had always aced.  This year he was actually staying in one place.  He could actually attempt to do well, and college was a possibility.  Sam was staying in Sioux Falls for the rest of his high school career, and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology was just around the corner from them.  Dean sighed with relief when he saw Castiel up ahead.  He needed to stop thinking about college.  He didn’t want to get his hopes up, only to be let down because his grades had never been enough for them.

        “Hello Dean.”

        Castiel’s voice ripped Dean from his thoughts and back down to reality.  Dean offered Castiel a forced smile and leaned against the wall, beside the other boy.  Castiel held a water bottle in his hand and Dean didn’t question why the boy didn’t want to drink.  They all had their stories and reasons, and Dean wouldn’t question Castiel’s.

        “Hey, Cas,” Dean responded, the nickname dripping off of his tongue easily.  He forced back the grimace and prayed that Castiel didn’t mind, and by his lack of reaction Dean took it to be so. “Why aren’t you enjoying the party?”

        “The same could be asked of you,” Castiel said simply, and Dean bit back a sarcastic remark.  Castiel was right; the same could be asked of him and it had been by Jo.

        “It’s just another party.  There’s nothing really special about it,” Dean said. “A group of teenagers wanted to dress up and drink beer and dance on top of each other.”

        Castiel snorted a little before taking a sip of his drink. “It’s always like this,” he said. “I don’t see any difference between each party.”

        “Did you always sit off to the side like this?”

        Dean saw a flash of something in Castiel’s eyes, but Castiel pulled his apathetic walls back up before Dean could fully make out what it was.

        “Not always,” Castiel said, and his tone told Dean not to ask anymore.

        Dean sighed, knowing that he was going to regret what he planned on doing.  He pushed himself off from the wall and turned to face Castiel. “Well tonight, you’re not going to be a wallflower,” he said.  “Come on.  You’re going to get a beer and then go out and dance with someone. I’m sure that anyone out there would be happy to dance with you.”

        “Dean,” Castiel started, but Dean already pushing Castiel away from the wall and toward the kitchen where the beers were stowed in coolers.

        “Relax.  If something goes wrong, I’ll be there and I’m sure Gabriel will swoop in and beat whoever is annoying you up,” Dean said.

         “Gabriel wouldn’t…” Castiel started, but Dean cut him off.

         “Gabriel would.  He acts like he wouldn’t, but trust me he would.  I know.”

         Dean stopped when they reached the kitchen.  He bent down and pulled out a beer from the container and swapped it for Castiel’s water.  Castiel gave Dean a worried look, but he opened the beer and took a long sip.  Dena smirked a little and gently pushed Castiel toward where a large mass of people where dancing too close to each other.  Normally Dean wasn’t one to get in the middle of a group like that, but Lisa had been right about Castiel in some ways.  Dean thought that he needed to loosen up a bit, and what better than beers and dancing?

 

        Six beers and three hours later, Dean was helping a buzzed Castiel toward the impala with Gabriel and Jo trailing behind. The other two were still sober enough to walk themselves to the car, and neither had a slur in their words.  Castiel, however, was another story.  Dean had watched as Castiel tossed back the beer he had given him and gone for a second.  By the third beer, Castiel was properly buzzed and letting pretty much anybody come up and dance with him.  Dean hadn’t like the looks that other students were sharing with each other, and he had stepped in after the fourth beer was gone and hands were starting to move without a brain’s consent.  Dean had seen the look of strain and discomfort on Castiel’s face even through the beers.  Even after that Castiel continued to toss back beers and after the sixth, Dean was glad that Gabriel and Jo had found him and said they were ready to go.

        Castiel wasn’t to the point where he wouldn’t remember the night, but he was slurring, off balance, and Dean wouldn’t be surprised if the boy ended up with a hangover.  Gabriel looked surprised at Castiel’s state, but hadn’t commented on it.  He helped Dean get Castiel into the backseat of the impala before sliding in next to his cousin.  Dean slid into the driver’s seat and started back to Gabriel’s house.  

        It wasn’t a long drive, and when they got there Dean tossed Jo the keys so that she could get their bags from the back and lock the car up while Dean helped Castiel to the house.  No one questioned why Dean jumped to help Castiel rather than let his cousin take care of it.  Dean would have said that it was because he felt responsible for handing Castiel his first beer.  That didn’t mean that Dean missed the look that Jo and Gabriel shared.  He just ignored it and led Castiel to the couch where blankets and pillows had been set up before.

        It was clear that Castiel and Gabriel had already planned on Dean and Jo spending the night.  The couch and love seat were set up with blankets and pillows, and a blow up mattress had been set up as well.  Dean struggled to get Castiel toward the bed as the buzzed teenager kept stumbling and could barely move himself.

        “It’ll be easier if you put him on the mattress,” Gabriel said.

        Dean shot him a glare and snorted. “You know, it would be easier if I got some help.”

        Gabriel moved at that.  He pulled back the blankets on the mattress and Dean got Castiel to lay down.  Castiel groaned a little and started to fumble with the buttons on his shirt.

        “I’ve got this,” Gabriel said softly, as though reading Dean’s mind about how awkward it could get.  

        Dean nodded and backed up.  He accepted his bag from Jo, who raised her eyebrow, and announced that he was going to change out of his nice clothes.  Gabriel pointed him down a small hall to the bathroom and that was that.  However, when Dean returned the love seat had been taken by Jo and the couch had been taken from Gabriel.  Dean bit his lip from saying something snarky and huffed as he sat himself down on the side of the blow up mattress that Castiel was one.  Gabriel excused himself, and Castiel was out of it, so Dean felt safe turning toward Jo and raising an eyebrow.

        “You seemed to like him…” Jo started, trailing off. “I would offer to switch but you’re going to be worse off here.”

        “Jo, it’s not like that.  I just – we just talked about this.  I don’t know what I want,” Dean said.

         Jo put her hands up in surrender and shrugged. “If you don’t like him like that then it’s not a big deal. You guys are friends.  Girls share beds all the time, and I know that you’ve shared a bed with Sam before.”

        Dean was going to protest that it was different when Gabriel returned.  Dean snapped his mouth shut as Gabriel announced that he was tired and flicked off the lights.  

        It was about an hour after Gabriel had turned off the lights and Dean was still awake.  It wasn’t that he was trying to stay awake; he was just not tired and he was still thinking about everything that Jo had said.  There was a groan from beside him that told him that Castiel was waking up.

        “Hey Cas.  How are you doing?  Still feel buzzed?” Dean said.

        “Hm.. where ‘m I?” Castiel muttered.

        “You’re back at Gabriel’s.  We’re in the living room,” Dean said, whispering so not to wake the other two.  He could tell that Castiel was still out of it, but whether it was still from the alcohol or from lack of sleep he couldn’t be sure.

        “Mhm.  Gabr’l’s.  I like it here,” Castiel muttered.  “Was always more of a home to me then my house.  You ev’r feel like that?”

        Dean smiled a little. “Yeah Cas, I get it.  Bobby’s always felt like home more than the motel rooms we always were staying at.”

        “Motel rooms?”

        “Yeah.  Dad moved around a lot because of the army.  We were either in rentals or motel rooms cuz it was all we could afford,” Dean said.  “Dad’s salary never really cut it.”

        Dean felt Castiel nod and curl back up.  Dean knew that the conversation was over and he doubted that Castiel would remember it.  Perhaps that was why Dean admitted what he had never admitted to anyone outside of family.  Sure, he didn’t outright say how much he despised having to move around and live in crappy motel rooms.  He had brought it up, though, which was more than he had ever done.  He glanced over at the sleeping body beside him, only able to make out the outline.  He sighed and laid back, closing his eyes and letting sleep come over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this fic so far. As you can probably tell, I am writing more per chapter so far. I don't have a beta reader for this fic, so if you catch any grammar, spelling, etc errors please let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is the map we will be using.  You can go anywhere within this map.  Also, I have your home areas. ...  Right, so let’s begin!”  
> “Woah!” Dean said quickly, cutting Gabriel off. “I’m still a little confused about this game.”  
> “Gabriel will narrate and set the scene for us.  We’ll say what we want our characters to do and we may have to roll for it, or we may not.  You can roll, also, for things like insight and perception in order to get more information out of Gabriel.  You will have to roll during battles, and before journeys.  It is pretty basic, but very intense,” Castiel said.  Dean glanced over at Castiel and nodded a thank you.  Gabriel smirked and began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've changed the way I originally wrote this so that it flowed better. See the overall story notes for more information.

        Saturday came and went in a little bit of a blur.  Castiel woke up with a piercing hang over that Dean tried to help with while Gabriel made the best breakfast Dean had had in a long time.  Jo and Dean didn’t stay long, however, as Jo had a shift to get to at the Roadhouse and Dean had to pick up Sam.  Sam was picked up, talking about how much he enjoyed spending the night with Kevin and Charlie, and Jo was dropped off with a smile cast at both brothers.

        Monday came soon, but not quite soon enough for Dean’s liking.  Sunday was a drag for Dean, as it was the day that John Winchester insisted that they all work together to clean the small shack of a house they were calling home.  It was a fixer-upper and most of the day was spent with Dean crawling into small places to patch up floorboards and check pipes for rust.  He didn’t mind it too much, as Dean had always felt relaxed when using his hands and fixing things.  It was when his father asked him to get on the roof to check for any cracks that everything went downhill.  Dean did not do heights. 

        However, Monday did come after a heavy night of sleep.  At first Dean drug himself out of bed and groaned at the idea of going to school, but then he remembered that there was a Fantasy Realm meeting and suddenly Mondays didn’t seem too bad.  Sam seemed to think the same thing as he happily scurried into the car after a mediocre breakfast.  Neither of them said what they were thinking, but both seemed to understand that the other was thinking the same thing as them. 

        Jo did not seem as excited as either of the boys. She greeted them as cheerfully as one can on a Monday morning and briefly mentioned the club before moving on.  Dean understood.  She did enjoy the club, but it just wasn’t as much her thing as it was Sam and Dean’s.   Still, she was their friend and she went for them and Dean truly appreciated that.

        Lunch energetic for lunch on a Monday.  Gabriel was bubbling over and seemed to want to talk, but was also keeping himself from talking.  Dean noticed once or twice when Sam would glance over at Gabriel and shake his head smiling.  He couldn’t help but feel glad that Sam was growing closer to these people, even if Gabriel was two years older and would leave high school before him.  

        Castiel even seemed a little more lively than normal.  He was the one to start a conversation with Dean about the club, and specifically about his character.

        “What?  Claris?” Dean asked, surprised by the question.  Castiel nodded, so Dean continued. “Well he’s a Spirit Walker which means he’s kind of like a ghost, but he is on the living plane and looks like a human to all but a special few.  I …”

        Dean trailed off, stopping himself from saying why he had chosen a Spirit Walker, that it was to honor his mom in some strange way.  Instead, he twisted at her wedding ring that he wore on his finger and said, “I’ve always liked the idea of spirits and ghost, and the idea that loved ones could still be watching over us in their own way.”

        Castiel watched Dean for a minute before he seemed to understand that Dean wouldn’t explain on that further.  He nodded and turned his eyes toward Gabriel. “I had a question about that, actually,” he said. “I was wondering if my character could see Dean’s character’s true form as he is a Nephilim.”

        Gabriel thought for a moment before nodding. “I don’t see why not.  But no more game talk!  We don’t have everyone here, so game talk remains within the meetings.”

        Charlie groaned at this, but they all seemed to agree that it wouldn’t be fair to Jo or Fergus if they spoke about the game and generated ideas without them around.  Dean couldn’t help but notice that Castiel seemed to glance his way more than he had been in the past week, and he wondered if Castiel remembered the conversation they had while Castiel was still buzzed from the beers. Dean prayed that Castiel didn’t, but it wasn’t like he could take his words back.  They had already been spoken and there was no going back from there.

        The rest of the day passed with relative ease and nearly no homework for Dean.  By the time the final bell rang, Dean was practically giddy.  He was out the classroom at the first note of the bell and moving down the hall as fast as possible without actually running.  Before he came down the hall of Mr. Fitzgerald IV’s classroom, Dean slowed down to a leisurely stroll so not to appear too anxious to get to the meeting.  He arrived at the door of the classroom close to the same time as Sam and Jo, and it felt like déjà vu of the week before as he walked in with the two of them.

        Gabriel was bouncing off the walls, gabbering about how exited he was.  Just like the week before, the three of them were last.  They took seats around the table: Sam to Gabriel’s left and Dean next to him.  Castiel was beside Dean, Fergus at the other head of the table, Charlie across from Castiel, Jo across from Dean, and Kevin across from Sam.  Gabriel pulled out a large sheet of paper, perhaps over dramatically, and plopped it on the table.  Sprawled on the sheet of paper was a simple and slightly whimsical map.  It was color coordinated with labels and names squeezed into small spaces.  Gabriel beamed.

        “This is the map we will be using.  You can go anywhere within this map.  Also, I have your home areas.  Sam and Fergus, your characters are from Anadora, a region known for being ruled and controlled by demonic creatures.  Castiel and Charlie, your characters are from Linida, a region known to be the magical hub of the world.  Dean, your character is from the Tami forest which is within Linida.  Jo, your character is from Munem, a very mild kingdom that doesn’t like war.  And Kevin, your character is from the Bareen Mountains.  Another thing to note is that the islands to the left and Eden have not been mapped by anyone – for various reasons you can attempt to discover.  Right, so let’s begin!”

        “Woah!” Dean said quickly, cutting Gabriel off. “I’m still a little confused about this game.”

        “Gabriel will narrate and set the scene for us.  We’ll say what we want our characters to do and we may have to roll for it, or we may not.  You can roll, also, for things like insight and perception in order to get more information out of Gabriel.  You will have to roll during battles, and before journeys.  It is pretty basic, but very intense,” Castiel said.  Dean glanced over at Castiel and nodded a thank you.  Gabriel smirked and began.  They each spoke for their character, and rolled for fights and chances.  The story fell as so.

**_It was a sunny day in Pineport, Phamor.  Phamor, if you don’t know, is the most democratic of all the kingdoms, as well as the home to many libraries and scholars.  As I was saying, it was a sunny day in Pineport, and it was a day that practically cried that fate was to begin to work her or his magic on the world.  For you see, on this day seven would meet, and these seven could change the course of the known and unknown world.  Let us look in on a small tavern on the edge of Pineport.  There is a bustling market outside and many people mill around.  However, not all will remain so calm.   A fight breaks out in the middle of the market place, and out comes an infamous bandit.  He barks at those who are still around to get into the tavern, and the crowd does so.  There, the bandit begins collect the gold and silver pieces the tavern has collected before he turns toward the crowd he has gathered to do the same._ **

**_He didn’t know that he had pushed fate to work faster.  He did not know that he drew the seven fateful together in one quick action._ **

**_One steps forward, his grey wings pressed to his back and his dark hair slightly askew.  Zaphiel, the Light Lord Nephilim, has felt the need to confront the bandit._ **

**_“You shall not take from these people.  You have already taken from the tavern.  Be gone or I shall challenge you,” Zaphiel says._ **

**The bandit laughed at the Nephilim’s words. He tossed back his head, his mask dancing over his neck as his shoulders jumped up and down.  “Then a challenge it is, my feathered fiend.  I ain’t leaving this tavern without their money, so fight me to the death or surrender now.”  Zaphiel withdraws his Morningstar blade and prepares himself.**

**_Both opponents strike out and they each manage to scratch the other.  Zaphiel gets a scratch along the bandit’s cheek, and the bandit manages to scratch Zaphiel’s arm.  Does Zaphiel continue the battle or does he pull out?_ **

**_The Nephilim continues, of course.  He believes in more than backing down because he’s gotten a couple bruises._ **

**_Again, each gets in a hit.  This time, Zaphiel managed to get a deep gash in the bandits arm and the bandit managed to get a cut through Zaphiel’s leg.  However, the bandit blocked the following of Zaphiel’s strikes and managed to strike at Zaphiel’s gut.  Though he only got the outer layers of skin, he succeeded in getting Zaphiel to stumble back.  What the bandit was not anticipating on, was a medic._ **

**_Armorina steps forward, the Devilkin’s red horns and pale skin already making her stand out.  She kneels before Zaphiel, whipping out her medkit and managing to stop the bleeding.  However, she does not believe that Zaphiel should continue after that injury._ **

**_Ellisithertalli, or Elli as we will call her from now on, was the next of the seven to step forward.  Her reasons were, perhaps, less noble than Zaphiel’s, but she is ready to counter the bandit nonetheless.  She attempts to use her hypnotic voice to stop the bandit, however her nerves got in the way and her voice has no effect on the man.  Instead he turns toward her and laughs.  With a swift motion, he brings his sword forward.  He is too fast for Elli to stop him and he manages to scrape her arm. She stumbles back, running into a wiccan with auburn hair and tanned skin._ **

**_The next to try his luck was a demon known well for his fighting skills within Anadora.  Crowley was one who had the most pride driven reason to step forward, as he stepped forward only because he believed he should be in the bandits place.  The bandit doesn’t give Crowley a chance to speak before he is slicing through the air.  His swing was not as strong as his previous ones and Crowley manages to block him.  However, Crowley gets no hits in either, the bandit being far quick than Crowley even if Crowley is stronger._ **

**_Now that more people were standing up against the bandit, two more step forward.  Claris, a Spirit Walker trained in fighting, swings at the bandit and the bandit barely manages to block it.  However, a dracon named Zibex also moves forward at the same time and he manages to crack his whip around the bandit’s bag.  Gold and silver coins go spilling out.  Realizing that it was three against one, the bandit quickly retreats._ **

**_Relieved, most of the crowd hurries to get out, even ignoring the coins on the ground for the taste of freedom that they feared they may not get again.  All that were left were the seven fateful and the bartender who begins picking up coins._ **

**_“Stay as long as you like and help yourself to however much mead as you desire,” the barkeeper, Justin, says. “You know, there was once a prophecy.  It said, seven will meet in a scuffle over money.  Seven will work together against the evils of the world.  Seven will come together, differences aside.  Or somethin’ like that.”_ **

**_While Armorina checks the others for injuries, the seven look each other over.  Claris looks normal to them all, save Zaphiel who can see through the Spirit Walker’s disguise.  Does Zaphiel say anything?  No, not at the moment._ **

**_The prophecy sticks in their minds.  Could it be true?  Could it be fate drawing the seven of them together?  Claris doesn’t believe so, claiming that the prophecy sounds like a bullshit coincidence.  Avani, the wiccan, believes otherwise._ **

**_“Perhaps it isn’t so different,” she says.  “Why was it that the seven of us stood up and why is it that we were the only ones to stay behind?  Besides – there are rumors.”_ **

        “Guys, that’s all we have time for,” Gabriel said, and there was a collective groan from the group.  Gabriel smirked and pulled out a couple pieces of paper. “Charlie, would you do the honors of selecting the quest you guys will go on?  I couldn’t decide, so I figured a random drawing would be good.”

        Charlie nodded and grabbed one of the folded pieces of paper.  She handed it back to Gabriel who smirked at what he read.  Dean didn’t like the smirk, as it only meant that Gabriel had something dark up ahead for their characters.

        “So what did you think?” Castiel asked, jarring Dean out of his thoughts.  Castiel had set the question for any of the newbies, but Dean had a feeling that he had it directed toward him more than the others.

        “It was – fun,” Dean said. “It’s like playing a roleplay video game without the controller or animations.”

        “Exactly!” Charlie said excitedly.  “In the past Castiel has drawn out our characters and it was super cool!”

        Dean tried not to smirk as he noticed Castiel’s cheeks go a little pink.  Castiel nodded and avoided Charlie’s gaze.

        “Um – I enjoyed it as well,” Sam said, obviously trying to break the silence.  “It’s interesting.  Will it get hard with seven of us trying to play?”

        Gabriel jumped in, smiling as he spoke. “Nah.  Most of the time you will be off doing separate things, so there may be meetings where just a couple people talk and the rest of you can discuss strategy.  This wasn’t even that interesting of a meeting.  The setup is always boring.  Give it a couple weeks and we’ll be in the swing of things.  We also sometimes set up times on the weekends where we meet at my house and we can play for hours at a time.  We try to stick to here, but sometimes it just gets too exciting.”

        Dean smirked a little and rolled his eyes at how excited Gabriel was.  He figured that the boy just enjoyed the game and was excited to have his own world.  At that point, Mr. Garth Fitzgerald IV announced that it was four and that they all needed to get going.  So, with that the students clambered from their seats and grabbed their bags.  The eight students all walked toward the entrance of the school together, though they split off to go different directions toward their cars.  As Dean turned to say goodbye to them, he noticed Fergus whisper something to Castiel.  Castiel seemed to pale a little but with a short nod he was back to normal.  Dean bit back the question that danced on his tongue.  Instead, he bid the rest of the group goodbye and walked toward his impala with Sam and Jo.  He didn’t even mention it to Sam and Jo.  If he was curious, he could ask Castiel. 

        Dean thought about it on the drive to the Roadhouse to drop Jo off.  By the time he and Sam reached their home, Dean decided that he would not mention it unless Fergus began to bother Castiel.  Only then would Dean mention it. 

        Dean was content with that, and soon it slipped to the back of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a little shorter because I didn't really want to continue with the Fantasy Realm story. However, the next chapter will be longer again and I have started to set up some drama! Hope you guys enjoyed


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  “Son of a bitch,” Dean snapped.   
> His tools were on the ground and he was on his feet in a second.  Castiel’s eyes were wide with shock, and Dean resisted the urge to punch the nearest thing, which was Castiel’s car.  He took a shaky breath and started to pace to try to calm himself.  
>   “I thought I could come up with something by now, but I truly do not know what to do,” Castiel said. “I – didn’t want to tell Gabriel because I’m scared of what he would do.”  
> “Castiel, they’re blackmailing you,” Dean said, moving toward the impala.  “They can’t do that!  You need to get help from adults.”  
> “Dean I can’t!  They either wouldn’t believe me or they would want the whole story, and who knows who would find out after that,” Castiel said.  
> ... Dean leaned his hands on the hood of the impala, looking down at Castiel.  He sighed and let his brain work.  There was an idea forming in there.  It was an idea that he wouldn’t mind, to some extent.  Sure, it wouldn’t have been his first choice but it might work.  Castiel wouldn’t like it.  Dean may have only known the boy for two weeks, but he knew that he wouldn’t like it.

****

        Lunch the next day came quicker than expected.  Soon, Dean found himself comfortably settling down at the table that he had been sitting at for a week now.  It seemed weird that it had only been a week.  It felt both like his first day still, and like he had been there for years.  It was an odd feeling, to say the least.   He was one of the last ones to the table that lunch, and he couldn’t help but noticed that Castiel’s seat was empty.  He wasn’t the other one as Gabriel kept glancing at the seat as well.  Dean managed to catch Gabriel’s eye, but Gabriel just shook his head quickly and returned to his conversation with Sam.

        Castiel showed up roughly ten minutes later.  He looked like a mess.  His hair was more askew than normal and he had the beginning formation of bags under his eyes.  He shot Charlie and Gabriel a quick look and neither said anything about it.  Castiel just pulled out his food and began eating.  Dean bit his lip to keep from saying something.  It was clear that Castiel didn’t want any more attention drawn to him, so Dean figured that he’d talk to Castiel later.  In fact, Dean had a better idea.

        “Why don’t you guys stop by the Roadhouse today?” Dean said, catching everyone off guard. “I mean, Ellen would love to meet you guys.  She’s heard nothing but good from Sammy, Jo, and I.”

        “Sure,” Gabriel said. “Castiel and I will be there.  Charlie, we could give you a ride.”

        Charlie nodded and smiled widely.  Dean offered a ride to Kevin, who said that he’d check with his mom but he was sure that it would be fine.  Dean smiled, his wheels already turning. If he whispered to Ellen that he needed to make sure one of his friends was doing alright, he was sure that she would jump to help him.  It was just the kind of woman she was.  Then he would just ask if Castiel was doing alright, and all would be settled.  He wouldn’t have the nagging worry at the back of his mind that only grew when he glanced over and saw how tired Castiel looked.

        The school day drug to a close slower than others had felt.  Perhaps it was because Dean was both nervous and excited about what was coming after school.  He was excited, though he’d never admit it, to be able to meet up with his friends in the place he liked to call home.  He was nervous, however, that something might really be wrong with Castiel.  What if there was a real problem going on, and what if Dean couldn’t help?  The only people Dean had ever put in the effort to ask if they were okay were Sam and Jo, both of which he knew how to help.  The idea that he was going to push out of his comfort zone and ask someone who wasn’t family if they needed help felt weird.

        Sam must have noticed it because he raised his eyebrow at Dean as he and Kevin slid into the backseat of the impala.  Jo also gave Dean a look as she climbed into the passenger seat, but Dean didn’t know if it was because he had invited a bunch of people over to the Roadhouse without talking to her before, or if was because his nerves were more obvious than he would have liked.  Neither said anything, however, and when Dean turned up the music volume they knew that they weren’t going to get anything out of Dean.

        Jo was the one who was out first and telling Ellen that Dean had invited some of his friends over.  Ellen, a fierce looking woman with a soft inside, smiled at Dean and ruffled his hair a little.

        “I’m glad that you’re making friends,” she said fondly before her eyes turned to Kevin.

        “Ellen, this is Kevin.  Kevin, this is our surrogate aunt,” Sam said, proudly showing off his friend.  Dean couldn’t help but smile at his nerd brother and how happy he was with his nerd friend.  Jo lightly hit him over the head before leading the other two to one of the longer tables near the middle of the open floor seating arrangement. 

        The four of them had just settled down when the bell above the door chimed.  The first person they saw was Gabriel, and Dean was pretty sure he saw Sam jump out of his seat.  He would have said something if he didn’t catch himself doing the same when he saw Castiel come through the door.  He told himself that he was just anxious to make sure that his friend was doing okay, even if Jo would have given him one of her bitch faces if he said that aloud. 

        Dean felt his heart drop a little when Fergus stepped in behind Castiel, standing perhaps too close to Castiel than Dean would like.  Dean bit back any words that might have tried to escape and did his best to keep his face flat.  He couldn’t let anyone, especially Fergus, know that he his invite hadn’t extended to him.  If he let that show, Fergus might get suspicious.  Dean stopped that train of thought.  He didn’t know why he should be so wary of Fergus.  For all he knew, Fergus had been asking about homework or even about Fantasy Realm.  It could be a coincidence that Castiel looked tired and worn that day.  Dean didn’t think it was a coincidence when Castiel caught his eye and something stirred behind those ocean blue gems.  He didn’t think it was a coincidence when he almost literally ran into Castiel as he was leaving the bathroom and Castiel was coming in.

        Dean stopped and backed himself up before they full on collided.  He let the door swing shut before he turned his emerald eyes onto Castiel.  Despite the fact that Castiel had come into the bathroom, he made no movement toward one of the stalls or urinals. 

        “Cas …” Dean started before his tongue got tangled on the words.

        Castiel cocked his head to the side, his eyes boring into Dean in a way that no one else had.  He opened his mouth slightly then closed it again before motioning for Dean to continue.  Dean mentally cursed himself for being such a chicken.  What was the big deal, after all?  Castiel was his friend.  It was normal to check up on your friends and make sure they were alright.

        “Cas, are you alright?  You haven’t looked so hot today,” Dean said finally, mentally high fiving himself for getting the words out.

        Castiel seemed to consider for a moment.  He opened his mouth, and then closed it, and then opened it again.  “I’m fine.  Thank you for asking,” he said, too sharply and too quickly.

        He moved to go past Dean, but Dean grabbed his arm and held him there.

        “Cas – I saw Fergus whisper something to you yesterday, and today you look like hell,” Dean said, his voice dropping to a whisper.

        A shift in Castiel’s eyes revealed something like curiosity, but Castiel quickly covered it up again.  “Thank you for your concern, but nothing is wrong,” Castiel said.  He nodded curtly before breaking free of Dean’s weak grip and moving past him.

        Dean bit back a sigh and left the bathroom.  He almost considered getting Gabriel alone and asking him, but he stopped himself.  Even if Gabriel knew, it wasn’t his business to say.  As Dean sat down, his phone buzzed.  He glanced at it to see a text from Gabriel.

        Gabriel: Keep bugging him 2 tell u.  He’ll cave eventually.

        Dean glanced over at Gabriel, who was currently chatting it up with Sam.  He met Gabriel’s glanced for a brief second and caught what seemed to be half a wink.  It could have been anything, however, as a second later Gabriel’s attention was back on Sam.

        Castiel joined the group again, sitting between Dean and Fergus, just as Ellen brought out a tray of burgers.  A pitcher of coke already sat on the table and as soon as the burgers hit the table, the teens dug into them.  Ellen smiled happily at them, ruffled Sam’s hair, and returned to her place behind the bar counter. 

        The conversation revolved mainly around school.  Sam and Kevin asked about teachers they may encounter in the upcoming years, and Charlie talked about her dream to work for a gaming company. 

        “Dean,” Fergus said, his voice somehow commanding the rest of the conversations to die down. “Where did you say you were from again?”

        It was a perfectly normal question, but for some reason Dean felt like he had chills growing on his spine.  He felt like Fergus was trying to dig in and discover everything about him, only so he could turn around and use it as blackmail.  Perhaps that was what he was doing to Castiel.

        “We’ve moved around a lot, but the last place we lived was a tiny town in Georgia,” Dean said, trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal that Fergus was asking this.

        “What about the first place you lived?  You’re home – so you could say,” Fergus said casually.

        “Lawrence, Kansas,” Dean responded, locking eyes with Sam.

        Sam hadn’t ever really known Lawrence.  They left the town when Sam was two and Dean was six, and that had been the beginning.  In the last eleven years they had moved at least twenty times, John Winchester picking up odd-end jobs for the military until they dismissed him six months before.

        “Why did you move so often?” Fergus asked.

        Dean could sense Ellen moving around slightly.  The music was playing, but not loud enough that she wouldn’t pick up on the conversation.  Dean knew that she was getting ready to swoop in if things got bad.

        “Military dad,” Dean said simply. “He got moved around a lot.”

        Fergus nodded, and though he seemed to want to ask more, Jo swooped in to relieve them.

        “You know, Dean’s fixing up his car that he drives?” she said. “He picked it up at Bobby’s old scrap yard.”

        “You are?” Castiel asked, and Dean felt his cheeks turn slightly pink.

        “Yeah.  Like Jo said, I saw the old thing sitting in Bobby’s yard.  I’ve always liked impalas and the ’69 is gorgeous.  I couldn’t let her get scrapped, so Bobby said that if I worked for him on the weekends I could use his tools to fix her up.”

        “That’s amazing,” Castiel said, though it was softly.

        Jo’s comment was enough to get the rest of the group talking about other things, however.  Ellen came back over when the burgers had been finished and other costumers had started to trickle in.

         “Castiel, Jo tells me you’re a senior this year,” Ellen said. “Got any plans for after?”

        “I’m looking at Augustana University,” Castiel said. “Hopefully a double major in art and French.”

        He glanced over at Dean, and suddenly Dean’s mouth was working without his consent. “I’ve been looking at SD Mines, or South Dakota University of Mines and Technology.  I’ve been looking into electrical and mechanical engineering.”

        Dean could have sworn Ellen’s eyes were about to pop out of her socket, and Jo was smirking like she had just cheated her way into the Olympics.  Sam, meanwhile, looked at Dean like Dean often looked at Sam – he looked proud.  Dean held back a gulp, knowing that Ellen was going to help him get into SD Mines, even if he still wasn’t sure.  Perhaps he was sure.  If he wasn’t, would he really have said it on whim like that?

         “Really?” Castiel asked.  “That’s very cool.  SD Mines isn’t far from here, either.”

        “Yeah.  It’s one of the reasons why I like it.”

        Fergus scoffed and Jo looked like she was about to lean across the table and sock him.

        “You got something to say, Fergus?” Jo snapped.

        “Nothing.  Just – mechanical and electrical engineering?  What do you do with that?”

        “Oh I don’t know.  He could go into aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, defense engineering, electronics, hell even pharmaceuticals.  Almost any job you can think of, theirs some kind of engineering out there.  And did you know that someone working with a degree in engineering can earn a five digit salary almost automatically?”

        Dean felt like beaming at Jo.  Here she was, being herself and not taking shit from anyone.

        “It’s a smart choice than my majors,” Castiel said.

        “Don’t say that!” Dean said, the words coming out once again before he could stop them. “There’s a lot you can do with an art degree, and translators are something that are always in demand and make decent money.”

         Castiel managed a small smile, even if it last only shortly.

         “We should get home,” Gabriel said, his eyes locking on Castiel’s.  “We don’t want our parents to get too worried.  Thank you Ellen, for the amazing burgers.”

        Ellen smiled and told them to come back any time they wanted. With Castiel and Gabriel went Fergus and Charlie, both of whom had rides with Gabriel.

        “Who put a stick up Fergus’ ass?” Dean snapped.

        “He’s always been like that,” Jo said. “No one is every up to par for him except…”

        She trailed off and Dean immediately jumped on it. “Except what?”

        “Well, even he doesn’t stand up to Fergus, but he does seem to favor Castiel in some ways, but it’s almost like he babies him.  It’s like how you wouldn’t expect a child to be overly smart or set high expectations for him.”

        “Why’s that?” Sam asked, watching Jo carefully.

        Jo shook her head. “I don’t know.  Up until this year, I never really knew Castiel.  I’ve heard rumors, but looking at Castiel most of them are probably false.”

        Sam nodded, and the conversation dropped.  Dean’s mind kept reeling, however.  With what he had seen and what he had been told, he knew that Castiel wasn’t alright, and he knew that Fergus had said something that had spook the blue eyed man.

 

        Throughout the week, Dean had found a balance of reminding Castiel that he was there if he needed help, but also not bothering the boy into annoyance.  Castiel seemed to want to say something every time Dean brought it up, but he never did.  Each time he seemed more appreciative of Dean’s offer, however, and Dean saw that as a win.

        The weekend came quickly and while Dean hadn’t had to work the weekend before, he did have to hold up his job at Bobby’s garage and dump.  He pulled up in the impala into the garage where he could work on her if he finished the other cars that came in for tune ups that day.  It was seven fifty and Dean’s shift started in ten minutes.  Ash was already there, working on the electrical problem a dodge pickup was having.  Dean bid him a hello before moving to check in.  The old grump that was Bobby Singer sat at his desk in the small office and waiting room area.  He tipped his ball cap at Dean as he walked and clocked in.

        “What have we got today?” Dean asked.

         “Ash’s working on the pickup, but we’ve got a Prius comin’ in at nine today.  You can work on the impala until then,” Bobby said.

         Dean grumbled a little at the idea of having to work on a Prius, perhaps his least favorite type of car, but he nodded at Bobby and headed back into the garage.  A few minutes later and he was in his work clothes and under the impala, checking on all the mechanics that were loosely held together until she was finished.  They all checked out well, so Dean turned to the air conditioning that was still not running.  Sam had been complaining about it after school when temperatures were reaching ninety degrees, so Dean figured that would be the best thing to work on next.  He hands were coated with oil and grease when he saw a light blue Prius pulling up the drive and toward the garage.  Dean sighed and pulled himself away from his beloved car to rinse off his hands.

        He beckoned for the car to pull into the garage between the impala and the pickup that was now finished and waiting for its owner to pick up.  Dean was grumbling to himself, his eyes already racking over the car that had clearing been in a minor accident when the door opened and none other than Castiel stepped out.  If Dean accidently knocked over some tools in surprise, Castiel didn’t say anything and Ash wasn’t around to see.  Dean mentally noted that Ash must have gone to take a break or get breakfast, and he stored that in the back of his mind.

        “Cas,” Dean said, trying to act casual. “This your car?”

         Castiel scoffed and shook his head. “No. It’s my mom’s car,” he explained. “I haven’t driven in a while and she had stuff to do around the house, so I offered to take the car in.”

        He looked like there was more to say that he was keeping himself from saying, and Dean didn’t push him.  Dean also ignored the faint spark of hope that Castiel might have come because he wanted to talk to Dean.

        “So what’s wrong with it?” Dean asked. “And where did it get this dent.”

         Dean moved toward the car, running his hands over the dent in the passenger side of the bumper.  Castiel tossed the keys to Dean, who promptly popped the hood on the car.

        “Some idiot hit my mom at a four way stop a while back,” Castiel said. “She was putting off getting it fixed but when we noticed that the light was going out, she thought that we should take it in.  I also noticed that the car seemed to have a delay when I tried to get it running.”

        Dean nodded. “Easy fixes,” he said.  He backed away from the car, looking it over as a whole.  He mentally went through his head what he needed to get done before pulling over the tools that he would need.

        “You can sit in the office if you want,” Dean said. “Or if you don’t want to be with grumpy ole Bobby, you’re welcome to sit over at the workbench over there. Or if you want you could pop open the impala door and sit in there.

        Castiel nodded.  He looked around, walking about the place for a minute.  Dean had begun his work, analyzing the damage done to the fender when Castiel slid into the impala, the door still propped open.

        “How long do you think it will be?” Castiel asked.

        “Well you’re lucky that we haven’t got any other cars in here that need work.  As long as there’s no internal damage, we should have this done by the end of the day,” Dean said. “When Ash get back, it’ll move even faster because he can look into the stall while I work on the body.  You got a ride?”

        Castiel shook his head. “I was thinking about walking to the Roadhouse or the library. I have my sketchpad to keep me busy,” he explained.

        “Well you’re welcome to stay here if you want,” Dean said.

        Sure, it wasn’t really what Bobby had clients do.  Bobby, in fact, preferred if clients left as he wasn’t the most sociable man.  Castiel was a friend, so if Bobby asked that would be what Dean said.  As long as Dean didn’t goof off and got his work done, Bobby wouldn’t care in the end.

         Dean was starting to take the headlight out when Castiel spoke.  “Dean – you – this week you’ve mentioned a few times that I could speak to you if something was bothering you.”

        Dean slowed his work. He turned so that he could work as well as look at Castiel.  He nodded and Castiel nodded in return. 

        “You were right in assume that something was bothering me,” he said. “And… you were right in assume that Fergus had something to do with it.  Dean … this isn’t really something I talk about.  Gabriel is the only one who might know why I’ve been so – out of it this week.”

         Dean stopped his work for a second and found Castiel’s eye. “Cas, I’ve got no one to tell if you’re worried about me keeping a secret, and if you’re worried about me judging you – I’m the last person who should judge anyone.”

         Castiel nodded again, but as he spoke again he didn’t meet Dean’s eye. “Last year – was hard for me.  My parents were asking why I had never dated anyone, and in fact why I had never mentioned any girls that I was possibly interested in.  You see … I’m not necessarily …”  

        “You’re gay?” Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

         “Not exactly … I’m asexual, but I do favor men romantically,” Castiel explained.

        “I know this is a little off the topic of your story, but – asexual?”

        “It’s alright, many people don’t know. It just means I’m not sexually attracted to people.  It’s more – complex than that as there are many different types and differences between asexuals, but that is the basic understanding of it.”

        “Alright,” Dean said.  Though it didn’t fully make sense to him, he figured that it would be better to let Castiel continue his story.  He made a mental note to ask Sam about it or to look it up later that night.

        “Anyway,” Castiel started again. “My parents were questioning me.  They – aren’t the most liberal of people, so I couldn’t tell them that I wasn’t interested in woman.  They kept getting on my back about it, and Fergus saw one day while I was out with my parents.  The next day at school, he approached me.  Granted, there was a lot going on at this time for me.  I had a lot of work for school, and my parents were making me volunteer for the church on the weekends.  Not to mention I was not doing well on keeping friendships.  Fergus proposed to me something that could keep my parents off my back.  He said that one of his friends had been interested in me, and was willing to be my ‘fake’ girlfriend for a while, just so my parents wouldn’t get too curious.”

        Dean had a bad feeling about this.  Fergus gave him chills, and anyone who hung out with the guy couldn’t be good news either.  He kept his mouth shut, however, and let Castiel continue.

        “Meg was – she was nicer than some of the other people that Fergus hung out with.  They aren’t the best people to hang out with, however.  Drugs and alcohol are their kick, and they often like to bully other students.  They were not the best for my dwindling esteem either. 

        “However, that is not important.  It was about six months later that I decided I wanted to call it off.  It was long enough that my parents would be off my back, and I wanted to get away from them.  Meg had been – she had been pushing to make the two of us more.  She didn’t necessarily want a relationship, but…”

         “She wanted sex?” Dean asked. He had been working on the car while listening to Castiel, though he was probably working slower than he normally did.  He was too interested in Castiel’s story, and he couldn’t help but be worried for the boy.

        “Yes.  They all have a sort of – friends with benefits I believe they called it.  They would just call one of them up when they wanted to have sex.  They all had the agreement, and Meg and Fergus wanted me to be a part of it.”

         Dean felt his grip on the wrench he was holding tighten.  “Is that what he’s bothering you about?” Dean asked, a little bite in his voice.

         “Yes,” Castiel said. “You see, Gabriel helped me get out of their group last year.  I was not doing well, and my parents had even noticed it.  They went to talk to Gabriel and his parents, and that’s when Gabriel decided that it was enough.  When I stopped hanging out with them at lunch, Fergus joined the Fantasy Realm club.  He didn’t ever bring it up, but it was a sort of reminder to me that I couldn’t fully get away from him.

         “Last Sunday, Meg texted me.  She once again asked me to join their sex group.  Though I have nothing truly against sex, or even having it myself, I don’t want to have it for no reason.  If I ever have sex, I would like it to be with someone I care deeply about.”

         “You told her no and Fergus came around asking?” Dean asked.

        “Yes.  He told me that I had until next Monday to consider it, and he implied that he would tell people that I was gay if I did not agree to join them.”

         “Son of a bitch,” Dean snapped. 

         His tools were on the ground and he was on his feet in a second.  Castiel’s eyes were wide with shock, and Dean resisted the urge to punch the nearest thing, which was Castiel’s car.  He took a shaky breath and started to pace to try to calm himself.

        “I thought I could come up with something by now, but I truly do not know what to do,” Castiel said. “I – didn’t want to tell Gabriel because I’m scared of what he would do.”

        “Castiel, they’re blackmailing you,” Dean said, moving toward the impala.  “They can’t do that!  You need to get help from adults.”

        “Dean I can’t!  They either wouldn’t believe me or they would want the whole story, and who knows who would find out after that,” Castiel said.

        He was keeping his composure well, and Dean was surprised by it.  His face was still fairly flat, and his voice only raised slightly.  Dean leaned his hands on the hood of the impala, looking down at Castiel.  He sighed and let his brain work.  There was an idea forming in there.  It was an idea that he wouldn’t mind, to some extent.  Sure, it wouldn’t have been his first choice but it might work.  Castiel wouldn’t like it.  Dean may have only known the boy for two weeks, but he knew that he wouldn’t like it.

        “I might have a way to fix it,” Dean said, his voice softer and with less emotion. “If you’ll trust me with this.”

 

        Ash came back shortly after Castiel and Dean had finished their talking.  With Ash’s help, the Prius was finished by lunch.  Dean clocked out for his lunch break and despite his hatred toward the car, he slid into the passenger seat of the Prius.  A text had already been sent Fergus’ way by Castiel, and they were meeting up at a small dinner nearby.  It was a hole in the wall of a place.  Outside lounged stoners, too high to truly process Castiel and Dean.  Inside, a thin layer of smoke covered the room.  The music was pounding too loud to make out any conversations unless you were a part of them, and it would be the perfect place to blackmail Castiel further.  However, Dean was there and he wasn’t going to let that happen. 

        Fergus was sitting in a corner booth, a girl by his side.  She was a curvy girl with wide eyes that could probably bat any boy at her side – if not for the obvious indications that she was an addict.  Sure, maybe some guys were into that, but for Dean it made his skin crawl. Fergus narrowed his eyes when he saw Dean at Castiel’s side and the female, who Dean assumed to be Meg, rolled her eyes.

         “I see you brought yourself a guard dog,” Fergus said darkly. “Sit, doggy.”

        Dean glared at Fergus, but he did sit.  He motioned for Castiel to slide in first before sitting on the outside of the booth.  He felt like he could better protect Castiel from there, and it was then that it hit Dean how quickly he had gone into protector mode with Castiel.

         “Listen, Fergus,” Dean said. “Why don’t we talk about this little blackmail thing you’ve got going on?”

         “Aw did you go crying to your boyfriend, Castiel?” Meg cooed. 

        Dean looked at booth of them, and then at Castiel.  Castiel seemed to let their words come, never fighting back.  He didn’t necessarily shrink at them, but he didn’t tell them to stop either.  It was then that it clicked in Dean’s head that they thought they could push Castiel around simply because he didn’t fight back.   It was also then that Dean started thinking about why Castiel had been so awkward at Lisa’s party. 

        “Cassie, I did not tell you to bring Dean,” Fergus sighed, almost as though he were scolding a child.

        Dean was reminded of what Jo had said about how Fergus treated Castiel.  He looked at the boy like he was too young to know any better, or like one would look at someone who was perhaps a little slow.  From what Dean had seen, Castiel was neither.  Castiel was fast, and there were hints of how witty he could be as well, if you got that side of him out. 

         “Castiel didn’t invite me. I more invited myself when I found out what was happening,” Dean said coldly. “So why don’t we start talking about a different negotiation. Perhaps one where you stop blackmailing.”

         Meg snorted and rolled her eyes. “Please, blackmail is what we do.”  She let her eyes roam over Dean, taking him in like he was prey.  She seemed to decide that he was second best next to Castiel, and truthfully Dean couldn’t blame her.

        “I don’t want to do it,” Castiel said, his voice flat and unwavering.

         “Then perhaps a small rumor starts about you and that French student – Balthazar I believe.  I do remember him being fairly interested in you when he came here,” Fergus said.  “And I may let it slip to Michael and Luke as well.  You know, I still talk to them often.”

         Dean felt Castiel go rigid beside him, but Dean figured that it was not the place to ask who Michael and Luke were.  Instead, he needed to focus on the situation at hand.

        “Is there anything else that is on the table?” Dean asked, leaning forward. “An option that isn’t Castiel joining your friends with benefits orgy group, nor you spreading a rumor about him.”

        Fergus seemed to be thinking, so Meg took the chance to speak.  “Cassie, we’ve missed you at lunch.  You used to be so much fun, especially when you actually joined us smoking,” she cooed. “You actually loosened up a little.  You even let me make out with you one time.  You remember that?”

        Castiel had just barely relaxed slightly from the mention of Michael and Luke, only to tighten again.  Dean resisted the urge to break Meg’s pretty little nose. 

        “How about I put something on the table?” Dean said, catching the group’s attention.  “How about we let this whole thing drop, and I won’t go to Principal Uriel to tell him about both your blackmailing and weed dealing?”

        Fergus narrowed his eyes at Dean, taking him in as though analyzing a threat. “You know, I’m not surprised, Winchester.  I knew better than to underestimate you, like Meg here does,” Fergus said. “You see, I had a feeling you might show up today, but Meg here thought that you wouldn’t.  You think you know a lot, but you don’t realize that we know more.   Cassie Robinson, Layla Rourke, Carmen Porter, Abby Adon, Benny Lafitte, Bela Talbot, Gordon Walker.  In fact, I’m surprised Lisa Braedon hasn’t been added to that list.”

        Dean scoffed and rolled his eyes slightly. “You think listing the names of some people I’ve had flings with is going to scare me?” Dean asked.

        “Hmm… no I should have known it wouldn’t,” Fergus said, though his eyes danced toward Castiel.  Dean didn’t look over.  He didn’t want to give Fergus any thought that he cared what Castiel thought of him, even though he did.  He wanted to know if Castiel had any reaction to the list of names that had been just spoken.

        “No, but I have a name that might make him flinch,” Meg purred. “Mary Winchester.”

        Dean was up in a second, holding Meg up by the front of her shirt. “She has nothing to do with this.”

         Meg laughed, not seeming threatened by Dean at all.

        “Somebody has mommy issues,” Fergus said with a smirk.  

        Dean dropped Meg back into her seat and sat back in his. He noticed Castiel glance over at him, but he ignored it.

        “I believe that we were talking of other things, and none of this names relate to that,” Castiel said simply.

         “You see, I bet that Cassie here didn’t tell you.  He probably told you his sob story of how his parents were on his ass and I told him that Meg would happily be his fake girlfriend for some time,” Fergus said. “But do you really think we offered this with no payment?  Castiel, you always knew that we would ask for payment, and now you’re running away from it.  That’s how deals work.  It would only be fair if we took back our end of the bargain, which was helping you keep your dirty little secret.”

         Dean didn’t like Fergus, and he perhaps liked Meg even less.  He had an idea, however.  It was an idea that had been forming since Castiel had told him about his predicament, and it had only been solidified by Fergus’ words.

        “What if someone else took on Castiel’s payment?”

 

         Castiel and Dean exited the diner ten minutes later, both deathly silent.  It wasn’t until they climbed into the Prius and Castiel sat there for a moment without turning the car on that they spoke.

         “You shouldn’t have done that Dean, and I shouldn’t have come to you,” Castiel said.

          “Don’t say that,” Dean snapped. “Look, if that list of names wasn’t obvious I don’t mind sex.  Honestly, I enjoy it a lot.  Being a part of a group like that – it isn’t a huge jump for me.  And you heard them.  The payment is over when school ends.  So what, nine months of this then neither of us have to worry about them again?”

        “Dean …” Castiel started, but Dean waved him off.

        “Look, really, it’s not a big deal. I would have done the same for Sammy or Jo,” Dean said, and though it sounded honest, it wasn’t.  The fact that he would have done it for Sam or Jo, but did it for Castiel was a big deal.  Very quickly Castiel was making himself one of the few people Dean cared deeply for, and it scared Dean. “Who are Michael and Luke?”

        Castiel sighed. “They’re my older brothers.  They’re twins, two years older than us. Luke hung out with the same people Fergus hangs out with. In fact, he was their leader.  They often called him Lucifer, just as many of them now call Fergus Crowley.”

        “I’m going to take it that they’re like your parents?”

        “I believe that Lucifer may be bisexual, or does not have a preference or something similar, but Michael is very conservative.  Lucifer would play on that if Fergus spoke with him,” Castiel explained.

        Dean cursed and sighed. “I’m sorry about that, Cas.  Fergus is a dick, and your brothers are as well.”

        “Who is Mary?” Castiel asked.

        “My mother,” Dean said.  He glanced over at Castiel, who had been open and honest to him. “When I was four, a couple of teenagers were messing around near our house.  The house caught on fire, trapping my mom in the nursery.  My dad went in, and pulled Sam out.  He handed Sam, who was six months at that time, to me and told me to get out.  He tried to save my mother.”

        “It didn’t work,” Castiel said, his voice softer than Dean had ever heard.

        “Sam and I were lucky to get one parent out of that house.  We almost lost our dad as well.  After we lost mom, well dad got more and more distant.  For a while he was still there for us, but as I got old enough to cook and do the laundry he started working more hours and going to bars more often.  He hasn’t always been there for us, but he also would do anything to protect us.  That’s why Bobby and Ellen convinced him to come up here when the military dismissed him.  They said it would be good for Sam and I, so he came here.”

        Castiel watched Dean carefully before nodding.  He seemed to be thinking about what to say, but couldn’t find the words.  Instead, he just said, “Thank you Dean, for all of this.  I don’t know if anyone else would have.”

        And with that, Castiel started the car and drove back toward Bobby’s garage to drop Dean off at work before going home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wahoo! A new chapter with lots of stuff that happened. I have a couple things to note.  
> 1 - I love Crowley! He is an asshole in this fic, but do not think that it's because I don't like him. The same goes for Meg. I love Meg, and I am not hating on her! In my last fic, she was actually an important role in saving Castiel. However, that doesn't mean she's going to save them in this fic. I'm just saying that I do love them in the show, even if I am using them as antagonists in this fic.  
> 2 - Castiel is not weak! I was trying to make that clear. He does not shy away from Meg and Fergus, he just doesn't fight back either. He went to Dean because he didn't know what to do, and didn't want to give into them. He is not a wimpy or weak character, and he certainly doesn't need saving. It may be that he actually needs to save Dean. I guess you'll just have to see!  
> I believe that is it on my notes. I'll have more up soon!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Get out,” he said, his voice calm enough to send chills down Dean’s spine. “I want you out of my club. I don’t want to ever see your damned face again.”  
>  “What?” Fergus asked, playing up his confusion to a point where it seemed fake.  
>  “Out!” Gabriel snapped, standing up and looming over the table. “I want you out! You should be surprised that you made it this long. Anna was blind enough to think you came here with no other intension than to be a part of the club, and I was dumb enough to think that you might actually change. So get out. I don’t want you ever to come to my club again. If you do, then you’re walking out of here with blood.”  
>  “Is that a threat?” Fergus said, standing up and smirking.   
>  He moved dangerously closer to Gabriel, his fingers clenching into fists. Castiel suddenly jumped up, putting himself between the two of them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you will see, I have changed the layout for gameplay in the Fantasy Realm club. I'm hoping that it will flow a little easier and make more sense overall. I went back and changed chapter 3 to match this, and edited my beginning of book notes.

        Sam knew something was wrong when Dean got home that night, and it was then that Dean remembered how close he was to his little brother.  Dean got home just in time for dinner, something that John had actually cooked rather than take out.  Dean could see that his father was actually trying to make their lives better, and he couldn’t help but be proud of his father for that.   As Dean sat down, however, Sam raised an eyebrow at Dean.  He saw right through Dean’s mask, but he also knew better than to bring it up in front of dad. 

        “How was work?” John asked, forcing the conversation.  Dean watched his father, trying to grasp the idea of actually conversing with his sons rather than just order them around.

        “Good.  I got to work on the impala for a little bit before uh – Castiel came in to get his mother’s car fixed,” Dean said simply.

        Sam’s eyes bugged out and he tried to muffle a laugh by taking a large bite out of his food.  John raised an eyebrow and glanced between the boys.

        “Castiel?” he asked.  “Is he…”

        “He’s a friend, Dad,” Dean said, perhaps slightly too quickly.

        “Because you know, I wouldn’t …”

        “Dad!” Dean said, cutting his father off. “He’s just a friend.  That’s it.”

        John nodded and fell silent, keeping whatever he was going to say to himself.  He seemed to be trying to find something, anything to say to break the awkward silence at the table.

        “Dean, did you mean what you said at Ellen’s?  Are you really thinking about applying to SD Mines?” Sam asked.

        Dean looked over at his brother, searching his face.  Sam had always been the smart one, the one that was going to get into college and do something amazing with his life. Dean was the one who was only good with cars and could name pretty much any 80s rock song by the intro.  Yet Sam looked at him like he held the key to college, like he could only do it if Dean did it before him.

        “Yeah, I meant it Sammy,” Dean said, smiling a little.

        John smiled widely at these words.  “Dean, that’s amazing,” he said. “I still think you would be perfect for the army, though.”

        “Dad …” Dean started and stopped.  He looked down at his plate, not able to meet his father’s eye.  He felt like he was letting his father down.  All his life, his father had raised him like he was going to follow in John’s footsteps and go into the military. 

        “But, if you would rather just go into college, then I’m not going to stop you.  What do you want to do?” John said, and Dean felt his heart lift a little.

        “Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. I couldn’t decide between the two, so I thought both would work.  I can get pretty big scholarships through the college and such.  I mean, military scholarships, low income scholarships, scholarships based on the engineering major…”

         “Dean,” John said, cutting his son off. “If this is what you want to do, we’ll find a way to get you there, alright?”

        Dean looked at his father in a different light.  Growing up his father had been less of a father and more of a drill sergeant.  He told the boys what needed to be done, and he expected them to do that.  Dean had always thought that John would force him into joining some branch of the military, and going to college was out of the picture for him.  He smiled, a true smile.

        “Thanks, dad,” he said softly before returning to his meal.

 

        Sam bothered Dean later that night.  They were just about to climb into bed when Sam crossed his arms and gave Dean the best bitch face he could mustered.  Dean sighed and shook his head.

        “Trust me Sam, you don’t want to know,” Dean said, his voice softer than normal.

        “Dean, something’s bothering you!” Sam said, his voice a hiss so not to be heard by their father. “I saw it the minute you walked in.  And then you mentioned Cas – did something happen with him?”

        “With Cas?  God no,” Dean said. “Cas is – he’s a good guy, Sam.  He didn’t do anything.”

        “But something’s bothering you.”

         “It’s not my thing to tell, Sam.  I made a promise to him.”

        “A promise he probably knew would exclude me!  You’ve seen how close he and Gabriel are.”

        “He hasn’t even told Gabriel!”

        Dean hadn’t meant to snap.  Sam had been pushing, and Dean broke.  He wanted to tell Sam, he really did.   It was Castiel’s secret to tell.

        “I won’t tell anyone, Dean,” Sam said, his voice now soft. “I just want to make sure you’re alright.”

        Dean glanced over at Sam and sighed.  He would want the same from Sam. “Alright alright, but you can’t tell anyone.  Not dad, not Jo, not Ellen, not Gabriel – not anybody.   Fergus – he’s been blackmailing Castiel into doing something.  I stepped in, and I’m doing what Fergus wanted Castiel to do.”

        “You’re not selling anything – are you?” Sam asked, clearly worried.

        Dean laughed and shook his head. “No.  I will be sneaking out some nights, though, and you’re going to have to help cover me.”

        Sam sighed, clearly not happy with the idea of lying to their father so Dean could sneak out.  He nodded though.  “Yeah I will, but if he keeps asking, I’m going to have to tell him something.”

        “Tell him that I’m helping Castiel.  If – if he starts pushing a lot, I’ll tell him something else.  I doubt he’ll even notice I’m gone half the time.”

        Sam didn’t argue.  He sat down on his bed, looking up at his older brother.

        “You really like him, don’t you?” Sam said.

        “He’s a friend, Sammy.”

        “Yeah, but he’s not just some friend you know you’re not going to see in a month or two.  It seems like you really care about him – and I don’t even mean in a romantic way.  It’s something you would do for Jo or I, isn’t it?”

        Dean nodded. “Yeah, it is Sam. Now, in a completely unrelated topic – you ever heard about asexuality?”

        Sam raised an eyebrow, clearly seeing through Dean’s lies.  He didn’t say anything about that, however, and Dean was grateful. “Yeah.  An asexual is someone who does not feel sexual attraction toward anyone.  They get romantic attraction and stuff, but they don’t feel sexually attracted to anyone. I knew one when we were in – I think it was in Idaho.  She didn’t like sex at all, and wasn’t sexually attracted to anyone.”

         “Are they all like that?”

        “From what she told me, know.  Apparently she knew people online that were asexual but they enjoyed sex.  It’s not a well-known sexual identity, and from what I’ve seen they get a lot of slack from the gay community.”

        Dean nodded, trying to process.  Sam didn’t say much more than Castiel had, and Dean figured if he had any more questions he should ask Castiel or check online.

        “You should get some sleep, Sammy.”

        “You should too, Dean.  Don’t let whatever is going on keep you up.”

 

        Monday came sooner that Dean would have liked.  Even with the reminder of Fantasy Realm after school that day, Dean was dreading the day.  What if Fergus decided that the deal wasn’t enough?  What if he went after Sam or Jo?  What if Cas found out that Sam knew and decided that he hated Dean for it?  What if it was all some huge, cruel joke put on by Gabriel and Castiel?  Dean’s worries continued to spiral, and to get more ridiculous.  Logic was always more of Sam’s thing, and quickly logic was leaving Dean as more and more possibilities came to mind.  Sam knew better than to question Dean about why he was so quiet.  It was like he could see into Dean’s mind, and he knew it was better to let Dean figure it out himself.  Dean was grateful that Sam kept Jo from asking Dean what was wrong, and he knew he would have to get something for Sam as a thank you for keeping such a big secret.  Sam didn’t know everything, but he knew enough and didn’t ask any more than that.

        Dean stayed in the car for a minute once he parked.  It took a hard jab in the ribs from Sam to get him moving, though Sam did send him a sympathetic look as they grabbed their backpacks from the back.  Dean glanced around, and felt both relief and dread that he didn’t see Castiel or Fergus.  Kevin was there, however, and was quickly bounding over to Sam to talk about the chapters they had to read for English.  Dean clapped Sam on the shoulder and told the other three that he’d catch them later before turning and starting toward his locker.  He ignored the look he got from Sam, figuring it would be better for him not to see the flash of worry.   He had barely made it to his locker when Lisa came flouncing up to him.

        “Dean,” she said, her voice low as she glanced around. “I heard a rumor this weekend about you.  Someone said that their friend’s sister’s boyfriend saw you with Fergus and Meg this weekend and that you were joining their god-awful group.”

        Dean cursed in his head about how quickly things got around in this town.  How was it that people were already talking about him and Fergus?

        “Lisa, you know what they say.  Rumors are rumors.  You shouldn’t worry about something you hear from a friend’s sister’s boyfriend.  If you heard it from Fergus, Meg, or I, that would be different.”

        “So it’s not true?”

        Dean sighed and raised an eyebrow at her. “Why would I be hanging out with an asshole like Fergus, Lisa?” Dean asked.

        Lisa put her hands up in surrender and smiled a little at Dean. “If you’d like, I can clear the rumor up for you,” she said.

        “Lisa, you can do what you like.  I don’t like gossip and rumors that much.”

       Lisa nodded and stood there, like she was waiting to say something.  Dean grabbed his books for his first couple periods and looked at her again, raising an eyebrow.

        “Would you like to hang out this weekend?” Lisa said, seemingly trying to keep herself cool and relaxed. “You know we could see a movie or something.  There’s this diner just outside of town …”

        “Lisa, I’d love to hang out with you, as a friend,” Dean said, as his mouth moved without his brain.  His brain, meanwhile, was telling him that he was crazy. Lisa was beautiful and she seemed like a sweet girl.  Yet here he was, turning her down for the second time.  Was Jo right; was he just afraid of commitment?  Or was it something more?

        He watched as Lisa’s face dropped.  She then pulled herself together, and she pulled herself up straighter. “You know Dean, you’re a nice guy, and you’re really attractive.  You’ve only been here for a couple weeks and most of the girls in the senior class are pining after you already.  I’m not going to sit around and waste my time chasing after someone who’s not interested.  If you change your mind, you know where to find me.  I might have moved on by that point though.”

        Lisa turned to leave and Dean reached out, stopping her. “Lisa, look, you’re a sweet girl.   You really are, and any guy would be lucky to have you.  Hell, I should want to be going on dates with you – and I normally would be jumping at your advances.  I just … I’m not feeling anything and I don’t want to waste your time.  You shouldn’t waste your time on a guy like me.  There’s a lot you don’t know, and if you did, you wouldn’t be ‘pining’ after me.”

        Lisa sighed and rolled her eyes. “You know, you can call me when you get your ass out of your head and realize that you’re not just some guy that no one gives a damn about.  You know, Jo used to talk non-stop about you, and I never understood.  When I met you, I got it though.  I guess you just don’t see it.”  She sighed and stopped.  She started to walk away before, she turned around again. “You know, that friend’s sister’s boyfriend also said that you were doing it for someone else.  If that’s true, then you should know why all the girls are pining after you.  I’m just not going to chase a guy who’s already long gone.”

        With that, Lisa left.  Dean stared at where she had just been in awe, but he didn’t get to process what she had said before a short and surprisingly strong person was yanking him into the boys’ bathroom.  Dean spun, ready to punch whoever had just touched him, only to find Gabriel pushing a trashcan in front of the door to keep other people out.  Dean was just relaxing when Gabriel turned around and there was nothing but fury on his face.  Dean felt his whole body go cold as he desperately tried to understand what was going on.  Gabriel stalked toward him, and despite being a half a foot taller, Dean felt intimidated by the shorter man.  He backed up until Gabriel had him pinned against the nearest wall.  Gabriel then stood on his toes, his face still scrunched up.  If Dean hadn’t been scared of what the other man was capable of, he might have laughed.  Instead he just watched Gabriel with fearful green eyes.

        “What did you do?” Gabriel hissed.

        Dean felt a rush of anger.  How could Gabriel sit there, pointing a finger at him?  He’d done something that perhaps Gabriel wouldn’t have even been willing to do.  He knew this had to do with Castiel.  It was the only thing that would make sense; nothing else had happened.

        “Oh no,” Dean said, shoving Gabriel back. “You’re not going to come in here, snapping at me.  Not when he came to me asking for help and I gave it.”

        “If you helped him, then why did he come home almost in tears?” Gabriel hissed.

        “I don’t know, maybe you should ask him instead of threatening me without knowing a damn thing about what happened!” Dean snapped. “Or why don’t you listen to some of the rumors going around this damned school and put two and two together!”

        “Damn it, Dean. You know, I like you, but if you’ve hurt Ca…”

        “Hurt him! Son of a bitch, Gabriel, are you blind?  Why would I want to hurt him!  He came to me, and asked me for help!  What, do you think I kicked him out and told him to fuck himself?”

        “Why did he go to you!”

        Almost as quickly as Gabriel had pulled Dean into the bathroom, he deflated.   Dean watched, starting to put things together.  This went beyond trying to protect his cousin, and Dean knew it.  Dean couldn’t help but understand.  Gabriel had always been there for Castiel, and had always defended him even though he was the younger of the two.  Instead of talking to Gabriel, Castiel had gone to Dean.   Dean thought about how he would feel, if Sam had turned to someone else with an issue as big as Castiel’s.

        “Gabriel, I can’t tell you what’s going on.  That’s Castiel’s job,” Dean said, his voice a little calmer. “But I assure you, I haven’t done anything to hurt him.  Even ask him that, and he’ll tell you that it’s true.”

        Gabriel backed down, his head dropping slightly in perhaps the only form of apology that Dean would get.  Dean clapped the boy’s shoulder as he pulled the trashcan back and headed to his first class.

 

        Dean dreaded Fantasy Realm that afternoon.  He even thought about faking sick and going home early.  His inner voice told him not to be a wimp, but his other voice told him to run the other way.  If the encounter with Gabriel that morning had been bad, lunch had been worse.  There was an awkward tension between Gabriel and Castiel, and Dean had been dragged in on Castiel’s side.  It was clear that Charlie and Sam kept trying to carry on conversations to diffuse the tension, but everyone knew it was there.   It was as though Gabriel had caught Dean in bed with Castiel – even though it was nothing like that.  Dean quickly shoved that away, wondering why that had been the comparison he made.  He was not sleeping with Castiel, and it was nothing like that.  He was simply helping Castiel out, like any good friend would.  Right?

        If the tension at lunch had been bad, then the tension in the club meeting was even worse.  Dean could tell that Jo was pissed that he hadn’t told her what was going on, Gabriel was still mad at Castiel and Dean for not telling him what was going on, and Sam kept sending secret dark glances at Fergus.  Gabriel seemed to have concluded that Fergus was involved with it all, as he kept glancing over at him darkly as well.  Either that or he had finally heard the rumor that was going around about Dean.

        The club was silent for a few minutes, the tension even so bad that Mr. Fitzgerald put in headphones and started jamming to music in the back of the classroom.  Finally, it was Fergus that spoke.

        “Is there something that needs to be said, or can we start this meeting?” he said coldly, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

        Gabriel seemed to break.  His fingers clenched around the table and he narrowed his eyes at the British boy. “Get out,” he said, his voice calm enough to send chills down Dean’s spine. “I want you out of my club.  I don’t want to ever see your damned face again.”

        “What?” Fergus asked, playing up his confusion to a point where it seemed fake.

        “Out!” Gabriel snapped, standing up and looming over the table. “I want you out!  You should be surprised that you made it this long.  Anna was blind enough to think you came here with no other intension than to be a part of the club, and I was dumb enough to think that you might actually change.  So get out.  I don’t want you ever to come to my club again.  If you do, then you’re walking out of here with blood.”

         “Is that a threat?” Fergus said, standing up and smirking. 

        He moved dangerously closer to Gabriel, his fingers clenching into fists.  Castiel suddenly jumped up, putting himself between the two of them.  He glanced at Gabriel, giving him a look that must have gotten Gabriel to back down. 

        “You’re finally learning to stand up, and you start standing up for the wrong things, Cassie boy,” Fergus sneered.

        It was Castiel who landed the punch on Fergus’ nose, drawing blood.  The room fell silent, and Mr. Fitzgerald had risen from his desk.  Fergus looked like he wanted to fight back, but he glanced over at Mr. Fitzgerald and put his hands up. He knew he wouldn’t win.  Instead, he stepped back, grabbed his bag, and stalked out the door.  Dean had a bad feeling that the whole fiasco only had made things worse for them.

        “Maybe we should cancel the meeting for today?” Charlie said, her voice quiet as she looked over the two boys who were still standing.

        “No no,” Castiel said, sinking into his seat between Dean and the now empty second head of the table where Fergus had been only moments before.  “I think it will help us all if we play, get away from this world for a little bit.”

        “I agree,” Sam piped up, looking only at Dean.

        Dean couldn’t help but send a silent thanks to his brother.  Gabriel nodded in agreement and sat back down, clearly trying to compose himself again.  When Castiel reached under the table and took Dean’s hand, Dean didn’t pull away.  He told himself that it was to give support to Castiel, who was probably shaken about what had just happened even if he didn’t let it show.  When he squeezed Castiel’s hand, Castiel didn’t say anything, but his eyes briefly darted Dean’s way for a second, as a silent thanks.

        “Right, where did we end last time?” Gabriel said, drawing everyone’s mind toward the story.

        “The se-six of us had just met and heard the prophecy,” Charlie piped in helpfully. 

        Gabriel nodded and began.

**_The six soon made their way outside where the sun was beginning to set.   They are all still processing everything that happened, as well as the prophecy that they all heard.  It was oddly familiar to them all, and they all seemed to oddly fit within it.   They all agree that perhaps a good night’s sleep is the best thing to do.  They head to the nearest inn, each getting a room.  They agree to meet up the next morning in the small tavern attached to the inn to discuss the night before._ **

**_Is there anything that your characters do that is important for that night?_ **

**_No, okay then.  The next morning comes, and slowly the six make their way to the small tavern.  Zaphiel is the first to arrive and he claims a table for everyone. Zibex is the next, followed by Armorina, Avani, Claris, and Elli.  They gather around the much like we gather today.  There is tension and distrust in the group, as they have only just met, yet they are being told that a prophecy speaks of them._ **

**_“I still believe this is bullshit,” Claris says. “I mean, anyone could have gotten into a fight with a bandit.  Why us?”_ **

**_“Perhaps because of how eclectic we are,” Zaphiel says. “Or perhaps it’s just fate.  It works that way sometimes.”_ **

**_“I’m with the angel,” Avani says. “I think we’re supposed to do something amazing.”_ **

**_“Actually I’m a Nephilim – not an angel.”_ **

**_“What do you mean, something amazing?” Zibex asks.  “I mean – I’m just a dracon.  I’m not even good enough to be a dragon. What could I do?”_ **

**_You see, there were amazing things these six could do.  The fate of the world sat on their shoulders.  Soon they would discover why.  A message carrier ran into the tavern, breathing hard.  His eyes are wild and he waves a piece of paper in the air, catching the tavern’s attention._ **

**_“Dated six days ago,” the messenger reads. “King Theo, ruler of Theovaria has launched an attack against our small island of Savehaven.  I do not believe that we are safe, and if we fall I have in motion to send a messenger baring this news.  Do not think this is isolated.  I believe that King Theo has plans to take over more land, to conquer over other regions.  His intents are not pure, and I have heard rumors that he is starting to lock away those with magical abilities._ **

**_I believe his next target after us will be Munem.  He is building his way up, attacking the areas he believes he can take over easily.  If you are hearing this message, it is a call to arms.  Prepare yourselves and your loved ones to stand up and fight for your freedom._ **

**_From,_ **

**_Minister Yusepille of Savehaven.”_ **

**_The tavern felt silent.  Within the group, Avani was the first to speak. “Munem – that’s my home.  My mom still lives there,” she whispers. “I can’t leave her there alone.”_ **

**_She stands, and Armorina stands with her._ **

**_“Perhaps this is what the prophecy meant,” Armorina says. “What if we were meant to fight King Theo?”_ **

**_“You’re insane, right?  Fight the man who’s currently powerful enough to take over other lands – and has an army!  There’s only six of us,” Claris says._ **

**_Elli speaks up. “I’m with them.  I’ve been looking my whole life for a reason, and this – this feels right.  If Munem falls, who knows what will be next.  Perhaps it will be my home, perhaps it will be yours, Claris.  So we can stand up against this monster, or we can sit back and lose our freedom slowly.”_ **

**_“Why does everyone suddenly think that we’re going to lose our freedom?” Claris snaps._ **

**_“I travelled through Theovaria once,” Zaphiel says, his voice steady and calm. “It was worse than Anadora, which is saying something as Anadora is run by demons.  The people are treated more like slaves, especially those of magical origins.  Those who speak out, are shut down quickly.  If you wish to travel to Munem and fight, then I shall stand with you.”_ **

**_“Could we at least do introductions before we go on a possibly deadly quest to stop and possibly kill a King?” Zibex says. “I’m Zibex, a dracon.  I should have been a dragon, but I came out humanoid.”_ **

**_“Ellisithertalli, or Elli.  I’m a Chibido, but don’t worry. I won’t use my voice on you guys.  You would know if I did.”_ **

**_“Armorina.  I’m a – well I’m a devilkin.  I was born to a demon and human, and became a medic.”_ **

**_“Avani.  I’m a wiccan.  That’s pretty much it.  I’m good with the earth.”_ **

**_“Zaphiel.  I am a Nephilim and a Light Lord.”_ **

**_“Claris.  I’m a night.  That’s all you need to know.”_ **

**_The group of six look over each other.  They each are so different, yet they would soon find that they fit together well.  They would change the fate of the world._ **

**_“I don’t want to sound like the nerd here, but maybe pulling any information we can get about King Theo would do us some help,” Armorina says._ **

**_“My mother runs a library,” Avani says. “We can go and get information from her, and I can make sure she stays safe.  Maybe I can even convince her to temporarily move to Phamor or Linida.”_ **

**_The group agrees, though Claris with a little more trepidation.  He only really agrees because they all promised not to jump into anything too quickly, which would only lead to bad things.  With that, they pay for their meal and set off, heading toward Bleakhallow, Munem and the house of Avani’s mother._ **

 

        Gabriel ended it there, smiling a little.  “Next week they’ll start a mini journey, which is always exciting.”

        “Why do I have the feeling that you have something bad planned for us?” Sam asked, a faint smile brushing across his lips as he watched Gabriel.

        Gabriel smirked and laughed. “You’re learning, Sammy.  Nothing easy ever happens!”

        Dean didn’t remember when, but at some point Castiel’s hand left his.  As they were all packing up to leave, Castiel brushed passed Dean, and Dean could have sworn that he heard the boy mutter “thank you”.  By the time Dean turned toward Castiel, he was already moving out the door.  Dean smiled sadly for a brief second before pulling himself together and wrapping an arm around Sam’s shoulders.    He left the room with his brother and Jo, acting as though nothing was wrong, and he was grateful that they let him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it!   
> Once again, I would like to remind you that I do love the characters of Meg and Crowley and they will be /slightly/ out of character - or actually, slightly more cruel and evil - for the purpose of plot. Please do not kill me for it!   
> Also, I hope you enjoyed Lisa's little thing. I'm kind of tired of reading fics where she's whiny, clingy, and a bitch. I honestly did like her as a character up until close to her end, and I tried to give her a little more respect than some fics give her.  
> I hope to have a new chapter up soon! I'm probably going to start it now because I know how I want to start it off. Thank you for all your support and I love to hear from you in the comments!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they started down the street, Dean’s phone buzzed.
> 
> Cas: Good luck tonight. If you need help, just text me. I’m at Gabriel’s & will be able to get you out.
> 
> Dean smiled slightly at the text and glanced back at Fergus, who had been paying more attention to the road than to Dean. 
> 
> Dean: Thnx Cas. I’ll be fine. Stop blaming yourself. Enjoy Gabriel and his jokes.
> 
> Cas: I don’t understand most of his jokes. Such as now. He is teasing me about texting you & I don’t understand why.

        Fergus texted Dean Thursday night for their first ‘meeting’.  He said that he wanted Dean to meet everyone and lay down the rules that they had on Friday.  Dean had been hoping that it might have been forgotten, or that Fergus had decided that it was too much trouble.  That would have taken a miracle, however, and Dean was never one that was granted miracles.  He wouldn’t admit it even to himself, but he was nervous.  It was clear that he was the outsider, and the guy causing problems.  Dean wasn’t one to shy away from sex, but the fear that it might get rougher than he would like was something that was there, even if he wouldn’t admit it.  Dean was quickly learning that his body language gave him away more often than he would like.  The fact that it was Castiel who approached Dean at his locker Friday morning only proved this point more.  Someone who had known Dean for no more than three weeks was now able to pick up on his body language just as Sam or Jo could.  

        “Something is bothering you, Dean,” Castiel said simply as he leaned against the locker beside Dean’s.

        Dean looked up, surprised by Castiel’s sudden appearance and by his words.

        “It’s no…”

        “Dean, if this is about Fergus, then I would appreciate you telling me, as you are dealing with him because of me,” Castiel said, cutting Dean off.

        Dean glanced over at the other boy and sighed a little. He knew that Castiel was right.  Not only was he doing this for Castiel, but Castiel had also trusted Dean with his secret over everyone else.

        “There’s a meeting tonight.  Apparently they have rules that they need to go over,” Dean said. “Like I said, it’s not a big deal.  Cas, I really don’t mind doing this.  I like sex, and it’s better than them forcing you to do it.”

        “But you’re still scared,” Castiel said simply.  “It’s logical to be so.  You don’t know them or like them, so it would make sense that you would be worried about it.”

        Dean sighed.  He felt like he had been pulled apart piece by piece by Castiel and was now completely open and vulnerable to the other boy.  He glanced over at Castiel, but Castiel didn’t seem to notice that he had pried open his companion.  He just continued speaking.

        “Dean, if it is too much, you can back out.  This was my mess, and I shouldn’t have gotten you involved.  Also, if you need anything, all you have to do is call.”

        “Cas, this isn’t your mess.  You didn’t know that this is what it would lead to, and if you had you wouldn’t have gone through with it.  Don’t blame yourself for what is happening.  I was happy to step in.  And I feel like we’re talking in circles, so just drop it, alright?”

        Castiel nodded and smiled weakly at Dean.  He looked like he wanted to say more, but Dean had made it clear that he didn’t want to talk anymore and the bell for first period had rung.  Castiel clapped Dean on his shoulder and headed off to his class.

 

        The day didn’t seem to be long enough because soon school had ended and dinner had passed.  It was all too soon for Dean that he and Sam were making their way to their room and he texted Fergus to pick him up at the corner of the street.  Sam gave Dean a look as he stuffed his phone and keys in his pocket and moved toward the window.

        “Just be safe – whatever it is that you’re having to do,” Sam said. “And also, you should start thinking about why you’re doing it.”

        Dean gave Sam his best bitch face, but they both knew that it was out of love.  Dean nodded and slipped out the window.  He glanced back a couple times, but there was no signs of John noticing that he had gone out.  Dean doubted he would care, even if he did know.

        Fergus’s care was a simply black car that looked like it had been customized to be the “best”.  It was flashy and Dean found himself missing the impala, even if it still didn’t have air conditioning and sometimes groaned if it had been a while since it’s last check-up.  Fergus didn’t say anything when Dean got in, and Dean was fine with that.  As they started down the street, Dean’s phone buzzed.

_Cas: Good luck tonight.  If you need help, just text me.  I’m at Gabriel’s & will be able to get you out._

        Dean smiled slightly at the text and glanced back at Fergus, who had been paying more attention to the road than to Dean.

_Dean: Thnx Cas.  I’ll be fine.  Stop blaming yourself.  Enjoy Gabriel and his jokes._

_Cas: I don’t understand most of his jokes.  Such as now.  He is teasing me about texting you & I don’t understand why._

        Dean resisted the urge to laugh at Castiel’s obliviousness.  Dean couldn’t help but remember Sam’s words as well.  Think about why you’re doing this.  He was doing this because Castiel was his friend, right?  But Sam was right in that he should think about it more.   Dean wouldn’t do this for just anyone, practically sell his body.  He would do it for Sam and Jo, but they were family.   He’d barely gotten to know Castiel. 

        “We’re here,” Fergus said, stopping the car and climbing out. 

        Here was a rundown looking shack on the edge of town.  Dean raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything as he climbed out of the car.

         “What?” Fergus snapped, raising an eyebrow.

        “It looks like a place you would go if you’re trying to hide from the police,” Dean said.

        Fergus rolled his eyes and didn’t argue with Dean.  Dean figured that as a teenage sex group that were known for doing drugs and drinking, it wasn’t much of a surprise if they were. 

         The two of them were the last to show up.  Including Fergus, there were seven of them all together and girls outweighed the boys.  Fergus got straight to introductions, giving names to each of the faces.  Dean had already met Meg, and in the midst of everyone else, she seemed the sweetest.  Ruby sat beside her, and they could almost be sisters.  Ruby, too, had wavy brown hair and was relatively short (at least compared to Dean).  Alastair was the only other guy, and he gave Dean all kinds of the creeps.  He had a narrow face and a gangly body, yet somehow Dean knew that more power rested inside that body than Dean would ever want to know.   Abaddon had vibrant red hair and a shirt that read ‘the devil made me do it’, which Dean figured might accurately describe her.   Lilith had an almost childlike face, but had a smile that told Dean she was all kinds of dark.  Her blonde hair fell in waves down her back, and she seemed the most put together out of the all.  The final person was Amara.  She seemed the most annoyed to be there.   She had long brown hair that fell in large curls, and she was scarily skinny.  Her brown eyes fell on Dean and she took him in fully before smirking. 

         Dean swallowed and took the seat that Fergus had left open to him.  Fergus smirked as he watched the others take Dean in, some with a more mischievous look than others.  Lilith, Ruby, and Meg all seemed uninterested, but the others showed some. 

         “Right, as we have a newbie, a simple reintroduction of the rules was in order.  Besides, we were having some arguments over a few already,” Fergus said, controlling the room easily (though Lilith seemed perpetually bored by him, as did Amara).  “No means no.  We all agreed on that at the beginning of this all.  Of course, we’re here for sex, but not everyone likes the same – kinks that others like.”

        Alastair snorted and everyone glanced over at him.

        “That was more directed at you, honey,” Meg said brashly.  “You’re the one who’s – out there.”

        “Me?  What about Ruby with her whole …”

        Fergus raised a hand and the two fell silent, though they continued to glare at each other.  Fergus sighed, as though he were dealing with a bunch of eight year olds who never listened to him.

        “As I was saying, we respect each other’s preferences,” Fergus said.  “For the sake of our newbie, I’ll go over the process.  If we’re in need or want of a round or two, we text whoever we feel like.  We meet up in a preset location and go at it.  Fairly simple.   Most of the rules are set by our own individuals.”

        “Look, tell us what you do and don’t do when we hook up.  Really, Crowley, I don’t know why you called us all here to say that,” Abaddon said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

        “I wanted to make sure we were all clear.  We were having some problems,” Fergus said, and Dean noted that most of them called him by his “nickname”. 

         “We were having problems because Amara is being – finicky,” Lilith said, almost growling as she spoke. “I get it, we don’t all like certain kinks, but she’s not wanting to do anything.”

        “We all go through dry spells,” Amara said simply.

        Dean couldn’t help but notice that Amara had rarely glanced away from him.  Normally he didn’t mind being taken in by girls or guys, but something about this group made him shiver.  He wanted nothing more than to ditch, to go back to Sammy and Jo, and Castiel, Charlie, and Gabriel.  He had to stay seated, for those people he wanted so desperately to run to.  

        “Alright, alright,” Fergus said. “Look, Amara, we come to an agreement here.  We help each other out, even if we aren’t always feeling up to it.  Make it as vanilla as you want during a dry spell, but at least help someone else out.”

        Amara rolled her eyes and huffed, much like Sam used to when he was in seventh and eighth grade and Dean had told him to do something.  She seemed to comply, however.

        “Look, is this it?” Dean asked. “Because I’d much rather be at home than sitting in this crap-hole.”

        “Well I did bring some weed, and I think Ruby brought some beer,” Meg said with a smirk. “While we’re here, right?”

        Dean wanted to deny, to say maybe some other time.  Fergus gave him a hard look, however, and he knew that he couldn’t.  Besides, his only ride was Fergus, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to walk all the way home. Dean’s phone was passed around and numbers and texts were sent out.

        There was movement and soon people were moving out of the circle they had created and were enjoying each other’s company.  Ruby plugged her phone into a speaker and music poured into the room. Dean sighed and grabbed a beer can, ensuring that it was sealed before opening it and taking a sip.  He stood and moved toward the wall, pulling out his phone as he did. 

_Sam: Hope whatever it is, it’s going alright.  Dad didn’t seem to notice._

        Dean smiled at his brother’s text and sent a quick response back, ensuring that he was safe and alright.  Dean then clicked over to the other text he had received.

_Gabriel: Cassie told me everything.  Thank u 4 what u did, and sorry for threatening u the other day.  I don’t think even I could have done what ur doing._

         Dean couldn’t help but smile again.  He had hated the tension between Castiel and Gabriel during the week, and had started to notice the strain it took on the group.  He wasn’t going to be the one to tell Gabriel, however, and was glad that Castiel had.

         “What are you smiling at?”

         Amara had snuck up on Dean, like a snake in the grass.  She smiled sweetly at him, and Dean could see where people could consider her beautiful.  Dean found himself uninterested, once again.  However, he found that he would rather be with Lisa than Amara.  Amara seemed darker, yet almost more seductive.  It was something that Dean could see becoming addictive, and could see had become addictive to some of the others.

         “Why don’t you and I get out of here?” Amara said, leaning against the wall far too close for Dean’s liking.

         “What happened to your dry spell?” Dean said, biting back.

         Amara shrugged and smirked. “Sometimes they – just need a new face, you know?”

         It sent chills down Dean’s spine, and not the good kind.  He glanced over at her and then back at Fergus.  He knew that he had to participate, otherwise it would all backfire on him.  It wasn’t like he could just act like he was participating. 

        “Maybe some other night,” Dean said, offering Amara a smile.

        “Tomorrow?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.

         “Can’t.  I have a thing with my brother.  I’m not ditching him for this,” Dean said, and his voice must have made it clear that he wasn’t messing around about that. 

        It wasn’t a lie.  Sam had invited Charlie, Jo, and Kevin over, and Dean promised to be around to hang out as well.  Amara nodded and said that they’d find another time before pushing off of the wall and stalking away. 

        Dean called Castiel once Fergus dropped him back off at the street corner early that morning.  Dean didn’t know why he was calling Castiel, especially at such an early hour.  He was surprised that Castiel picked up.

        “Dean! Are you alright?” Castiel said, his voice coming across ruff and rugged across the phone. 

        “Yeah, Cas. I’m fine.  I’m just outside my house.  They didn’t pressure me into anything,” Dean said.

        He heard a sigh, most likely of relief, on the other side of the phone. “What was it like? Who was there?”

         “It was – dark, but there seemed to be some respect for limits, well from most of them.  Uh – Fergus was there, obviously.  Meg, Ruby, Lilith, Alastair, Abaddon, and Amara.”

        Castiel groaned, and Dean had forgotten for a moment that Castiel would know all of them, and be able to warn Dean about them. 

         “Alastair is – he would be the worst.  He always was a little sadistic. He is very aggressive and rough.  Abaddon is dominant, but she isn’t rough like Alastair.  I know Alastair left bruises and sometimes blood.  Meg would tell me about it,” Castiel said.

         Dean sighed.  He had gotten a feeling that Alastair was trouble in the group. “What about the others?” Dean asked.

        “Ruby was always a little quieter, but her and Meg are very close.  If Meg was interested in a romantic relationship with a woman, I believe she would pick Ruby.  Ruby was always a little, odd.  Lilith is very childish, and she complains a lot.  If you upset her, she’ll go crying to Fergus.  I don’t know much about Amara.  She wasn’t around much when I was because she didn’t like Luke, or Lucifer as he had them call him.”

        Dean sighed. “Thanks, Cas.  I’ll see you on Monday.”

        Dean hung up with that.  He didn’t want to think too hard about the turning in his stomach or the smile that came onto his face far too easily.  He didn’t want to think about any of that.  He just wanted to go home, get some sleep, and then enjoy his company tomorrow.

 

        The others were supposed to come over around two the next day, which meant that Sam and Dean were up around eight to start cleaning.  Sam had somehow managed to convince their father to let three people come over and spend the night, on the condition that they cleaned the house.  Dean agreed to pay for the pizza they would order for dinner, even though Sam protested that the money he was making from Bobby should go toward college payments.  Dean knew that would be the smart response, and a lot of it was going into his savings for that later.  However, if he wanted to buy his brother and friends pizza, he would. 

         By the time the house was cleaned to the best of their abilities, Jo was knocking on the front door.  She was a little early, but when Dean saw the giant pie in her hands, he didn’t care.  He smiled and took the pie without a word or a hug for Jo. 

        Jo laughed and shook her head. “Mom had me bring it over.  She knows how much you like pie,” Jo said, hugging Sam to the best of her ability with their height difference.

        Kevin was the neck to come, baring books that he’d promised to loan to Sam so the younger Winchester didn’t have to keep turning to his very small collection that he and Dean had collected over the years.  Charlie was the last to come, loaded with smiles and all things nerd.  She excitedly plopped a box set of the _Star Wars_ movies on the coffee table in the living room before unloading various games from her duffle bag.  She smiled mischievously at the others and quickly made herself comfortable.  In that moment, Dean felt like there was little that could have made him happier.

        They were on _Empire Strikes Back_ when the pizza came.  The five of them had lounged out in various positions across the cheap furniture and floor.  Charlie was commentating for them, which was better than the movie in some instances.  Dean was the one who got up and got the pizza, but Kevin beat him to the door and payed.  Dean opened his mouth to protest, but Kevin cut him off.

        “Dean, it’s fine.  Trust me.  Use that money for college, or to buy Sam some new books.”

        “It’s twenty bucks!” Dean protested.

        “And college textbooks can be up to a hundred and twenty, if not more.  So save it,” Kevin snapped before moving back to the group and dropping the half meat lovers, half veggie pizza on the coffee table.

        They had just started _Return of the Jedi_ and were cutting up the pie when John returned home, covered in grease from the long day.  He paused for a moment and looked over the eclectic group of kids.  He grabbed a slice of the pie, clapped Sam on the shoulder, and retreated to another room of the house without another word.

         “Well isn’t he social,” Charlie said, her voice soft so not to be overheard by John.

        “That was probably the best response we could have gotten,” Jo said simply from where she leaned against Dean.

         Dean vetoed watching the prequels, and the rest of the group agreed.  They moved to Sam and Dean’s room where the beds had been pushed aside and sleeping bags were rolled out.  There, the five of them gathered in a circle and Charlie pulled out a box of Cards Against Humanity, as well as a bag of expansion packs.  The next hour was spent laughing at hilarious and crude pairings of cards, in which Dean won with Charlie right behind him.  After that, Kevin nodded off, curling up in his sleeping bag.  Sam was the next to go, and then Jo. 

        Charlie and Dean both remained up, sitting in silence for a moment.  Then Charlie spoke.

         “I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t expect you to tell me.  I just – I want to know that you and Castiel are safe.  I know it can’t be good with everything that’s been implied this week.  And with Fergus getting kicked out of the club …”

        “We’re both safe, Charlie.  I wouldn’t let anything happen.”

        “To him.  You wouldn’t let anything happen to him.  That’s why I asked if you were both safe.  You have to think about yourself as well.”

         Charlie laid down after this statement.  She rolled onto her side so she was facing away from Dean, and Dean bit back a sigh.  He knew she was right, just as so many people had been right over the last couple of weeks.  He rarely thought about himself in situations like these.  He was more focused on keeping Cas safe from Fergus and the others than keeping himself safe form whatever was to come.  Dean sighed and laid back, many thoughts floating in his head.  It took him a while to fall asleep, and when he did, his dreams did not welcome him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that it's taken so long. Updates may be even slower than before because I do have college classes starting tomorrow. I had orientation this week, which is why it took so long. This chapter is a little shorter than I thought it was because a lot happened in it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean slid the computer onto the coffee table and leaned back onto the couch. He couldn’t help but let his eyes slide over Castiel’s face. Castiel didn’t look away, instead looking back with just as much ferocity. Dean felt like they were moving closer, and he had nothing against it. He thought for a second that they might kiss. It was possible, and Dean wasn’t freaking out about it.

        Dean grumbled in frustration on Sunday morning.  Charlie, Jo, and Kevin had left just after breakfast and Sam had gone to Kevin’s house to work on an English project (Dean had been upset that Sam already had a project three weeks into school).  Dean, in attempt to be productive, pulled up the website to apply for colleges nearby.  He really wasn’t interested in many, and in his head he didn’t know if he would really go to any if it wasn’t SDSM&T, but he figured if he was going to do this he might as well try for at least a couple of schools.  However, as he looked over the long list of questions to answer and the essays to write, he felt himself growing overwhelmed. 

        “If they want you to apply, why do they make it so complicated,” Dean groaned, pushing the family laptop onto the table and leaning back on the couch. 

        He knew that if he called Ellen, she would be happy to have him over at the Roadhouse and help him through it.  Dean, however, was feeling too prideful for that.  He had finally come to the conclusion that if he was doing college, he was doing it for himself.  In his mind, that meant that he was to apply on his own as well.  Even though that wasn’t a truly logical argument, it’s what he was thinking. 

        Dean was ready to give up all together, and when his phone buzzed he welcomed the distraction.  He didn’t let himself think about how he smiled when he saw Castiel’s name flash across the screen. 

_Cas:  how has your Sunday been going?_

_Dean: would b better if college apps weren’t so confusin_

        Dean was surprised as he hit send and found himself being honest in his words.  He cursed himself, as well.  Put on a mask, pretend everything is alright.  That was what he had been raised on.  That’s what he knew.  Now he was letting his words flow without thought.  Was this the beginning of an implosion?  Jo had always used that word – claiming that if he continued to keep things to himself he would “implode or explode”.  Perhaps this was the beginning of it.  Perhaps it started with the inability to keep any more to yourself.  Dean figured that this was crazy, because there were things he was keeping from even himself.  They were thoughts, feelings, that he stuffed as far down as possible.  His thoughts were interrupted by another text.

_Cas: If you wish for assistance, I would be happy to offer mine.  I have already completed the basic questions and many of my essays.  I would be honored to give what advice I can._

_Dean: I don’t want to take your time with something like this.  I’m sure you have better things to be doing on a Sunday_

_Cas: Truthfully, no.  In fact, helping you would get me out of a church gathering, so you would be helping me as well.  Though Gabriel may be mad that I got out and he did not._

        Dean laughed at this and soon found himself sending Castiel his address, inviting him over.  Dean didn’t know what was getting into him.  He would never have admitted needing help, let alone accept someone else’s help with something.  It was perhaps more frustrating than the college application.  He didn’t know what was going on with himself, and that was infuriating.  He felt like he didn’t have control over his body or thoughts any more.

        He couldn’t take it back, and Castiel had already responded that he would be over soon.  Dean sighed and laid back on the couch, running his hands over his face.  Thoughts he didn’t want to acknowledge were floating into his mind, and ideas he had hoped would never come were all too obvious.  His mind did what it was best at, though.  He took his thoughts and feeling and stuffed them down, down, down, until they were buried under his lack of self-worth.  Those were the things no one could know; those were the things that he didn’t want to know.

        Castiel was at the front door within fifteen minutes, and it shocked Dean how quickly he had gotten there.  When he pulled the door open and saw Castiel standing there in a button up white shirt and blue tie that was backwards, he couldn’t help but smile.  His finger’s darted out, fixing Castiel’s tie so it laid the right way.  He felt Castiel’s blue eyes on him, questioning him.  Dean didn’t have an answer for the other boy, though.  Instead, he just stepped back and cleared his throat.

        “Right, come on in.  It’s not much,” Dean said, stepping aside so the other boy could come in.

        Dean watched as Castiel stepped in and slowly analyzing the small hut that was Dean’s home, at least for the time being.  He then turned toward Dean and flashed a hair of a smile. “I like it.  Now, you needed help with college applications?”

        Dean nodded.  He sunk onto the couch and pulled the laptop closer.  The couch sagged beside him as Castiel sat.  The other boy was closer than most people would find comfortable, but Dean didn’t push him away.  When Dean leaned back, the laptop balancing on his knees, their shoulders were pressed against each other.  Neither said anything about it. 

        “So where are you getting confused?”

 

        The next two hours were spent with Castiel showing Dean how to navigate the website, as well as the blue eyed boy helping him brainstorm ideas for his personal essays.  Dean couldn’t help himself as he often glanced at Castiel, watching the way the boy spoke and the way his eyes shifted slightly with his emotions and thoughts.  Dean knew that Castiel did it back to him, that he was often analyzed by Castiel.  He could feel those blue eyes piercing through him and picking him apart, and for once he didn’t mind. 

        “I believe you have got the idea,” Castiel said, “and I believe that I should be returning home.  It’s getting close to dinner, and my parents will want me back for that.”

        Dean slid the computer onto the coffee table and leaned back onto the couch.  He couldn’t help but let his eyes slide over Castiel’s face.  Castiel didn’t look away, instead looking back with just as much ferocity.  Dean felt like they were moving closer, and he had nothing against it.  He thought for a second that they might kiss.  It was possible, and Dean wasn’t freaking out about it.

        The door opened with a load creak and both boys jumped apart, staring at each other as though the other had grown two more heads.  It was Sam who stood in the doorway, looking between the two.  A small, mischievous smirk slowly grew over the younger boy’s lips, and Dean cleared his throat quickly.

        “Right, come on Cas.  Let’s get you home,” he said. 

        He stood, Castiel following just after him.  Dean quickly told Sam to get the oven preheated for dinner before going out the door.  He spared Sam little eye contact, scared of what he might be greeted with.  It was bad enough that he knew Sam would bring it up when he got back.  He could only hope that Dad would be home late, but he most likely wouldn’t.  Bobby gave him short hours on Sundays.  Castiel followed without a word, and the silence remained as they drove.  It was only broken by the soft sounds of Kansas and Castiel’s occasional directions.  It was a short drive, and soon the impala was parked in front of the large house beside Gabriel’s.  The two sat in silence again, and Castiel wasn’t moving.  Finally, Castiel spoke.

        “I hope that I was of help today.  I know college applications can be stressful.”

        “You were, Cas.  You were.  I mean, I wouldn’t have been able to do what we did today without you,” Dean responded, having to clear his throat. 

        It felt wrong.  Not Castiel.  The idea that they were sitting in the impala, forcing conversation.  It proved that what had almost happened was what Dean thought, and now everything was spiraling downhill.   It was only a few more awkward, forced phrases before Castiel was climbing out of the car and heading into his house.

        Dinner was even more awkward.  Sam kept sending Dean odd, suspicious looks.  He knew better than to bring it up with Dad sitting at the table with them, but Dean knew it would come up later.  After dinner was fighting with the computer to try to get a live stream of _Last Week Tonight_ with John Oliver, one of the few shows all three Winchesters got a small laugh out of. 

        It was during the show that Dean acted without thinking.  It was during the show that Dean sent a quick text to Amara, setting up a place to meet for that night.  Her car, just outside of the shack Fergus had taken him to Friday night.  That was how Dean got out of Sam’s confrontation.  Once they were in the privacy of their room, Dean was quickly telling Sam that he had a thing to do for Fergus, and Sam was giving Dean a worried look.

        Amara smirked slight when Dean pulled up, and he was starting to regret texting her in the first place.  Why had he texted her?  Wasn’t he against this whole thing?  So why had he gone out of his way to participate in it?  Dean didn’t want to question it, and he didn’t have much time to before Amara was pushing and shoving him into the backseat of her car. 

        It was a tiny car, and not at all comfortable for two decently tall people to be having sex in.  However, Dean found the sex quite good.  When it was all said and done, and Dean was driving back to his house, he found that he hadn’t minded the sex at all.  Sure, he wasn’t attracted to Amara in any way, but the sex had been good.  That was resonating with Dean, for some reason.  Perhaps it was because it had been a while since he had gotten that close physically to someone, or perhaps it was because Amara took control, rather than him having to step up and do it.  Dean found himself growing uncomfortable thinking about it.  The idea of liking what had just gone down between him and Amara sent shivers down his spine.  He tried to remind himself that Amara was part of the group that was tormenting Castiel, that he was supposed to hate every minute that he spent with them.  It helped slightly.

        Sam was asleep when Dean got back, but Dean knew that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have to face his brother the next morning.  If he wanted to avoid facing both Sam and Jo, he knew that he would have to.  Dean’s night was restless, and he woke up feeling as though he hadn’t slept at all.  Sam was up and cheerful, which was not adding to Dean’s annoyed mood.

        “So what was that yesterday?” Sam said as they worked around each other to make breakfast and lunches. 

        “What do you mean?” Dean said, pushing eggs onto two plates, giving Sam more than himself.

        “Dean, you know what I’m talking about,” Sam said. “You and Cas – you were close.  And then you just brushed off after dinner.”

        Dean sighed, focusing on what he needed to get done instead of what he should say to Sam. “It was nothing.  Cas came over to help me with my college application.  Last night I had to do a thing with Amara.”

        “Amara”

        “One of Fergus’ croons.”

        Sam sighed and leaned against the counter, looking at Dean with his best bitch face.

        “What do you want, Sam?” Dean snapped, shoving Sam his plate.

        “I want you to tell me what is going on!  I want you to be honest with yourself.  And I don’t want you to ruin what you have with Cas because you’re being an idiot!”

        “You want me to tell you what’s going on?  Like you did with Jess last year?” Dean snapped. “You know, when you lost one of your closest friends in a fire and didn’t tell any of us for months!”

        Sam’s whole demeanor changed.  His shoulders slumped and he no longer met Dean’s eye.  Dean felt his heart shatter.  How could he do that to Sam?

        “Sammy, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean – it’s not like that Sammy,” Dean said, his voice soft. His hands had stopped moving and he now watched Sam carefully.

        “I know,” Sam said. “Dean, I’m trying to get better, but can’t you take your own advice?  I don’t want you to explode because you’re not talking to anyone!  I’m going to the impala.”

        Sam turned and started toward the door, but Dean spoke before Sam could leave.

        “It’s sex, Sam.  Fergus and his friends have this whole sex group thing.  Friends with benefits type stuff.  Fergus was trying to blackmail Cas into it, and I stepped in in place of Cas.  That’s what it’s about.  I can’t tell you much more than that, for Cas’ sake,” Dean said. “And last night I went out for that.”

        Sam had turned his head, watching Dean carefully.

         “Dean …”

        “Don’t worry, Sammy.  I’m being safe.   Nothing’s going to happen.”

        “I don’t like you being so close to them.  Is that why …”

        Sam trailed off, looking down.  His cheeks were turning a soft red and Dean was suddenly interested.

        “Is that why, what?”

        Sam sighed, still not meeting Dean’s eye.  “Gabriel, he’s been nice to me – like more than normal.  Is it because he knows and – I don’t know – is pitting me?”

        Dean raised an eyebrow and leaned against the counter.  He suddenly felt very much like Ellen, staring down Jo or the brothers like she often did. 

        “Is there something going on between you two?” Dean asked.

        “No! It’s not like that!”

        “Do you want it to be like that?”

        Sam went even more red and still wouldn’t meet Dean’s eye. “Do you want it to be like that with Castiel?  Come on.  We’re going to be late, and we need to pick up Jo still.”

        Dean nodded, though he was mad at Sam for bringing up Castiel in that context.  They managed to pick Jo up and make it to school on time, much to Sam’s relief.  Dena made a joke about Sam being a nerd, but smiled at his little brother.  Despite their fall out that morning, Dean was glad to have gotten everything off his chest – well not everything, but enough that Sam would leave him alone.  Sam’s words still echoed in his head, though.

_I don’t want you to ruin what you have with Cas because you’re being an idiot._

        The words had stung, and that feeling that Dean had pushed far down had begun to rise again.  Dean had quickly tried to shove it back down, but he couldn’t quite get it down as far as it once was.  When he saw Castiel waiting by his locker, the feeling rose again.

        “What’s up, Cas?” Dean asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

        “I wanted to see how the rest of your college application went after I left,” Castiel said.

        “I – uh – didn’t work on it much after you left.”

        Dean pulled his locker door open and started switching out books and notebooks from that weekend to get ready for his first few classes.  Before Castiel had another chance to say something, Amara came up.  She smiled evil and leaned against the lockers, closer to Dean than he liked.  Dean shifted slightly away and raised an eyebrow.

        “Last night was fun.  We should do it again,” Amara said.

        Dean felt his stomach do a flip – and not the good kind.  He hadn’t wanted Cas to know about that; in fact, he was trying to keep Castiel out of the loop as much as possible.  He sure as hell wasn’t going to admit that it had been enjoyable.

        “Yeah, whatever,” Dean mumbled, slamming the locker door shut.

        He turned and nodded at Castiel to follow before moving away from Amara.  Castiel quickly followed, his face twisted into that of questioning and confusion.

        “What did Amara mean by that?” Castiel asked.

        “Just fulfilling my duties as a part of Fergus’ damn club,” Dean said.

        Castiel huffed and didn’t say anything else.  Dean noticed that the other was mad, and that left Dean feeling weird. The only person he ever felt that way with was with Sam, so why was he feeling dread of Castiel’s upset.

        There was no change to say anything else, to try to make amends for what had been exchanged, before the bell rang.  Dean said goodbye and got only a curt nod in return.  He did everything in his power to not kick the lockers beside him. 

        Lunch came, and Castiel still seemed upset.  Dean was glad that it wasn’t just him that saw Castiel’s anger, as most of the group glanced between them occasionally with looks of worry and sympathy.  They didn’t know what was going on, but they didn’t ask.  It was as though they all knew it was better to let the two figure it out themselves.  After all, they were the ones who kept things bottled up until they exploded or imploded (Dean being the former and Castiel being the latter). 

        “Why don’t we all meet up at my place after school on Friday?” Gabriel asked, watching everyone carefully.   “We can have a movie marathon, oh or a game night.”

        “I like that idea,” Sam said. “We can bring games and play them.”

        “And make pizza like you, Cas, Anna, and I did last year,” Charlie said happily.

        “Dean can we?” Sam asked, looking at Dean with big, brown, puppy dog eyes.

        “Of course,” Dean said, because he couldn’t say no to that face.  “I’m sure dad won’t mind.  Would you guys mind if we invited Jo as well?”

        “Nah, of course not.  The more the merrier on game night!” Gabriel said, clearly excited. “There are so many games we need to expose you to.”

        “Gabriel has all these weird, indie games that are the funnest to play,” Charlie said to Dean, smiling widely.  “Right Cas?”

        “Yeah,” Castiel said, pushing his food around his plate.

        Dean caught Cas as they were walking toward their next period.  He grabbed Castiel by the arm, stopping the other boy as the rest of the group proceeded.  Dean searched Castiel’s blue eyes and he found in that second that all he wanted to do was capture those chapped lips with his own.  He stopped himself before he could, scolding himself and his feelings for being so blunt in his mind.

        “Cas, you alright?”

         “Yes Dean.  I’m fine,” Castiel responded, though he wasn’t convincing.

        “You know – Amara isn’t important to me, right?  Those people, the ones who tormented you all last year – I couldn’t give a damn about them.  The only reason I put up with them is because if I didn’t, they would go back to blackmailing you.”

        Castiel caught Dean’s eyes and for a second Dean thought he wasn’t going to be able to resist his urges any longer.  His heart felt like it was in his throat, and he strongly believed that he was going to throw up.  Then Castiel turned and waked away.  Dean cursed to himself, grabbing his bag and marching toward class.  Since when had he began to have feelings for Castiel?  They were far beyond anything he’d ever felt.  Sure, he’d been with people before – many in fact, but it had never felt like this.  He had even been in a serious relationship with Cassie (who ironically had a similar name to Castiel), yet this was still different than that.  

        When Dean sat down in his class, his mind was still reeling, and he doubted it would stop.  Perhaps it was time to come clean to Sam and Jo about some things.  They were the only ones who might be able to make sense of what was going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I GOT ANOTHER CHAPTER UP!  
> It's been like, what, a month? I am so so sorry. I am in college and everything is hectic, plus I went through a phase of really low motivation mainly because I couldn't get words to come out. I recently received new motivation and inspiration to help me continue on! I hope to be posting more often than this, but I can't make any promises. Love you all, and please stick with me. I promise that I am going to finish this, it just may be slow.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What are they making you do?” Jo asked.
> 
> “It’s not a big deal,” Dean said.
> 
> “You best answer my daughter, boy.”

        The club meeting came and went without much thought on Dean’s part.  It was more of their characters travelling toward Jo’s character’s home, and Dean felt himself zoning in and out of it.  He couldn’t help that his mind kept going to things it took to be more important.  If the others noticed during the meeting, they didn’t say anything about it.  Castiel didn’t seem as cold, which Dean took as a win.  He couldn’t help but feel better now that Castiel seemed to understand that Amara was nothing.  What did that mean, though? 

        It was after the club that both Sam and Jo seemed to corner him.  Sam loomed over his older brother, and even though Jo was shorter than Dean by at least a head she too was intimidating.

        “What’s wrong?” Sam said. “You barely spoke the whole meeting!”

        “Not here,” Dean grumbled under his breath.

        “Roadhouse then.  I think your dad’s working there today, so I’ve got the day off.”

        Dean groaned a little but nodded.  He knew that it was going to be hard to avoid.  They were too keyed into Dean’s slight changes in body language to not be able to pick up on the fact that something was weighing in Dean’s mind. 

        The drive was awkward to say the least.  Dean had his Metallica album thrumming through the car, but he could feel Jo’s eyes piercing the back of his head.  Luckily, the Roadhouse wasn’t too far away from the school and soon the three of them were clambering out of the car and pushing into the diner.

        Jo sat them at a booth near the back after shouting a hello to her mom.  Sam sat at the end, cornering Dean into the corner so he couldn’t leave while Jo posed herself across from them.

        “Okay, what the hell is going on, Dean?  You and Cas have been acting weird and today you were totally out of it,” Jo snapped.

        Dean sighed and ran his hands through his hair, jostling it.  He knew he needed to tell them, but the words were caught in his throat and his tongue felt too heavy to move.

        “You like him, right? That’s why you’re doing this all – letting yourself be pushed around by Fergus?” Sam threw out, his voice trailed with sympathy.

        “What about Fergus?” Jo asked.

        Dean took the bait, running away from the feelings Sam wanted to drag up. “Fergus – Cas was in an odd situation last year and Fergus forced his help on Cas.  This year, he was trying to get Cas to do something that Cas didn’t want to do, so I stepped in for Cas.”

        Jo raised her eyebrows, a dark and dangerous look storming in her eyes.  She leaned her elbows on the table and leaned in.

        “What are they making you do?” Jo asked.

        “It’s not a big deal,” Dean said.

        “You best answer my daughter, boy.”

        Ellen loomed over the table, having snuck up on them like a cat ready to pounce.  She huffed, placing a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow. “Speak now, Dean.  ‘Cuz this sure as hell sounds like you and Castiel are getting blackmailed.”

        Dean gulped. He had not wanted to get adults involved.  He wasn’t even supposed to tell Sam and Jo about what was going on.

        “Ellen – god – I’m – Cas didn’t want me talking about this.  This is – there’s stuff he told me that he didn’t want other to know!” Dean said.

        Ellen huffed and plopped herself in the seat next to her daughter.  “Spit it out, boy.”

        Dean sighed and he felt his ears tinge pink. “It’s a friends with benefits kind of thing.  There’s a whole group of them who meet up to – well sleep together.”

        “You’re sleeping with those assholes that Fergus hangs around for Castiel!” Jo snapped, her eyes widening.

        “Boy you must have it bad for him,” Ellen said.

        “I – it’s not like that!” Dean said, though his attempt to bat them off was getting less and less convincing.

        “Sure.  I didn’t almost walk in on you two having a make out session on Sunday,” Sam groaned, rolling his eyes.

        “Shut up bitch.”

        “Jerk.”

        Ellen sighed, running her rough hands over her eyes.  She sighed once more before lifting her eyes and looking at Dean. “Listen, I ain’t going to go to the police, even though I should.  Castiel trusted you with this, and I’m not about to go breaking that.  Under one condition.  You keep me updated, and if it gets bad you tell me.  One mark on you, I’m going straight to the police.”

        Dean nodded, knowing better than to argue with Ellen.  Jo shifted beside her mother, catching Dean’s eye.

        “Isn’t this pushing into the possibility of rape?” Jo asked.  “I mean, you don’t want to be there.”

        “It’s not like that, Jo.  I don’t mind having sex and they’re not forcing anything onto me.”

        “They do, you better be calling me,” Ellen said. She sighed and pushed herself back up. She gave Dean a hard look. “I won’t tell your father, but if it gets bad I won’t hesitate to.  You should.”

        “Ellen – you know how he gets.  He’ll have their heads,” Dean grumbled.

        Ellen sighed and Dean knew that she agreed.  She just nodded and moved back to her other customers.

        “So why was Cas pissed today?” Sam asked.

        “Amara,” Dean responded, earning a groan from Jo.

        “Please tell me you did not have sex with her,” Jo pleaded.

        “I did.  Why?”

        Jo sighed, hitting her head on the table. “Dean, you should have told me about this.  I know these people.  Amara is obsessive and sadistic.  If she liked you – she’s not going to leave you alone.  She’ll be wanting to be by you every second – and I’m not talking about in a cute or romantic way.  Her brother – he’s your age but graduated a year early.  He went off to study literature in some college in California, and she was pissed.  She nearly killed him to try to keep him hear – at least that’s what Ash dug up.  Police never caught onto it, but Ash knew.”

        Dean groaned, sliding down in his seat a little.  How could he be such an idiot?  Also, what was his luck that out of all the people he could have slept with, he picked the insane and clingy one? 

        “What do I do?” he asked.

        “Cut it off now.  Don’t have sex with her again.  It’s not worth it!” Jo said, shaking her head slightly.  “You don’t want to get in deeper.”

        “However, talking about deeper…” Sam started, only to be cut off by Dean.

        “We’re not talking about Cas.  I’m not going there.”

        “Dean! Why are you so against liking him?  He’s a great guy.”

        “Exactly!  He’s a great guy!”

        “And you think that you aren’t,” Jo said, scoffing a little.  “Bullshit.”

       Dean huffed.  He didn’t want to get into this, not with Sam and Jo.  Jo, however, suddenly got a sly smile.  Before Dean could ask what she was thinking, she hopped up and hurried off to a back room.  Dean groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

        “I really don’t want to know what Jo is planning,” he said, shaking his head and glancing over at Sam.  “Loo

        Sam shrugged his shoulders up and down, but his eyes seemed to be somewhere else.  “Dean – I don’t like what they’re making you do.”

        “Well you’re just going to have to deal with it,” Dean huffed, accepting the drink Ellen slid over to them while making her rounds.

        “Why don’t we just go to the police?  Dean, they’re blackmailing you and Castiel and forcing you into this for what – ten months!”

        “We can’t just go to the police Sammy,” Dean sighed.

        “Why not?” Sam snapped, drawing a couple eyes toward them.

        Dean waved the eyes away and looked back at Sam.  “Look, Cas is in this because his parents don’t know about some things, can’t know.  If we go to the police, they’ll want to know what Fergus has on Cas and that could get back to his parents, which would not be good.”

        Sam sighed and sipped at the coke in front of him.  “I still don’t like this.”

        It was at this point that Jo slipped back into her seat, a smirk on her face.  No matter how much Dean pestered her, she wouldn’t tell him what she had planned.

       They ate dinner at the Roadhouse that night and stayed there until John was off of work.  Sam was half asleep by the time Dean was pulling him toward their room to get some sleep.  Dean got a text from Amara that night.  He ignored it, choosing his sleep over that.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that it's been a long time since my last update (like almost a month) and that this is so slow. I had to get past this and the next chapter is already in the works, and I'm hoping that it will be better. I hope that I'll get more up soon and that it won't be a month between updates this time.


	9. Undetermined Hiatus

Hey guys, I'm sorry I haven't updated in months. I still love this story idea and will want to add on eventually, but at this point I don't see it happening. I'm so sorry. I love you guys, and I hope you won't be too mad at me. I'm not going to delete it as I will most likely return to it in the future. Love you all.


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